Ricotta Pasta with Peas + Prosciutto

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, diced
• Kosher salt to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 1/4 cup ricotta
• 1 lemon, plus more wedges for serving
• 1 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 lb pasta
• 1 1/2 cups shelled peas, fresh or frozen
• Salted butter for finishing, optional
• 2-3 oz  pack of prosciutto, more if desired
• Fresh basil for serving

Sweat the aromatics + build sauce

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and preheat the oven to 350*F.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet or dutch oven, over medium-high heat add olive oil and scallions. Season generously with kosher salt and stir to combine. Turn heat to medium-low and gently sweat scallions for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are soft and somewhat translucent. We’re not going for browning here, just a gentle cook to soften them and to keep the flavor bright.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low.
4. With a microplane grater, zest the lemon. Then slice and juice lemon, set juice aside.
5. Add ricotta, and half of the lemon zest and juice. Stir to evenly combine. Turn off heat and cover with lid to keep warm.

Crisp the prosciutto + cook pasta and peas

1. When the oven is preheated, arrange prosciutto in a singe layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Set a timer! Remove from oven when done.
2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook just shy of al dente, as it'll finish cooking in the sauce. I like to cook it 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions call for to account for this.
3. In last minute or so of cooking, add peas to pasta pot.
4. Using kitchen spider, scoop cooked pasta and peas out of pasta pot and transfer into skillet with sauce. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water and set aside.

Finish + serve

1. Over medium heat, toss pasta and peas with ricotta mixture and a splash of pasta water to loosen. Add the remaining lemon juice to the pot and stir. This part is up to you to really taste and adjust. Throw in a couple knobs of butter for richness, more parm for more savory salty notes, more lemon for brightness, and continue to taste and adjust, adding more of everything.
2. Serve in bowls while warm with more parm, cracked black pepper, broken up bits of crispy prosciutto, and fresh basil. I can’t overstate how much the lemon juice makes the dish at the end, so I also like to serve each bowl with a lemon wedge! Enjoy.

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