I just made this for one of my non-Italian friends. She wanted the recipe. Note: Italian macaroni (pasta) is made with only durum semolina. A bit healthier than those made with white flour.



It's from my Nanna (Maria Marsala)

Peas and Prosciutto - Brought From Sicily by Maria Marsala
(side dish or appetizer or full meal, take your pick!)

2 medium yellow or white onions
¼ lb imported Prosciutto (if necessary, buy domestic prosciutto)
15 oz can LeSuer peas use entire contents of can (or baby peas and add salted water from the pasta)
I box Ditalini macaroni
Grated cheese (romano or locatelli to taste)
4 tablespoons butter and/or extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water from the boiled macaroni
Basil


Cook macaroni to al dente in water with a teaspoon of salt, and drain
Separately…
Sauté onions--the more the better in butter ( you could use olive oil too)
Add prosciutto
Add a little basil to taste (or not)
Add LeSure peas with the liquid
Add water

Combine the pasta with prosciutto/peas. The pasta will keep absorbing liquid and bloat so add more water if necessary or when you reheat.

Enjoy

Thanks Maria, This sounds like a wonderful meal for a winter day. (We've been experiencing a blizzard here in the Midwest today, so I'm ready for a nice soup meal.)

By the way, I wasn't familiar with the type of pasta you recommended -- at least not by name.

So i looked it up. Found out ditalini means "little thimbles" in Italian. It's a smaller cousin of elbow macaroni, and formed into a straight smooth tubular shape.

My source said ditalini can be used in hearty soups, stews, salads and side dishes. For example, if you're familiar with the Italian soup called "Pasta Fagioli" (literally "pasta and beans"), which they serve at the Olive Garden restaurant chain -- for those of us who don't have a more authentic Italian restaurant to frequent -- ditalini is the pasta shape used in that classic thick Italian soup.