Last year super star chef Giada created her favorite low stress Christmas dinner menu, and this delicious side dish was the complement to her tenderloin of beef. Our family always has the celebration roast beef dinner on Christmas Eve, giving the (close to exhausted by then) woman of the house time to enjoy the holiday. I gave this a test run, and it easy to prep ahead and prepare, with a special occasion richness. If you saute the bacon and shallots ahead of time, it’s a matter of minutes to stir in the peas and finish it off with the herbs, cheese and wine.
Of course you don’t need to open a bottle of Prosecco for the small amount required, (white wine works fine), but it sounds like a good excuse to me! Using pancetta (the Italian version of bacon) in the recipe title does make it sound even better! This will definitely be on our menu on December 24th this year.
4 ounces bacon, chopped
2 shallots, minced
One 10.8 ounce bag frozen peas, thawed (I like petite peas)
1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
1/4 tsp.kosher salt
1/4 cup Prosecco (sparkling Italian wine)
Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often until crispy and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
With a wooden spoon, stir in the peas; cook until heated through, 4 minutes. When the peas are hot, raise the heat to medium-high and add the mint, pecorino and salt. Toss gently to combine. Add the Prosecco, remove the pan from the heat, and stir until everything is evenly combined and coated in the sauce. Serves 4.
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