James Beard’s Pleasant Pasta Recipe (2024)

Loved this! I added one clove of finely minced garlic to the butter and sauteed for a minute before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pan. A dry white wine was used to lighten the sauce and I finished it all with a sprinkling of thinly sliced green onions.

Absolutely delicious, easy and quick. I used half and half in place of the of the heavy cream. It is lighter to eat. Toss the prosciutto strips at the very last minute, briefly. This is a family and guest favorite.

I would just thaw the "tiny peas" under hot water for a second so that you get that little "pop" as you eat. Fresh shelled edamame also work well.

I've been making this for at least 20 years and we never get tired of it. Using thin linguini (Delverde is very good) seems to lighten it considerably. No need to cook the peas. They keep their fresh taste whentossed with the pasta, prosciutto and parm, I always save a little prosciutto to dress the plate. And try and remember the pepper. At our house we call this alfredo with peas and prosciutto.

Delicious just the way it is. I add pasta water to lighten the sauce

Mix half the proscittto in the pot as instructed. Lightly chop the remaining half and mix while serving. Retains more of that great fresh prosciutto bite.

Lovely spring dish and it indeed came together fast. Grated a garlic clove and added it to the butter in the bottom of the pan with pasta to cook for a minute before adding the cream. Added a bit of dry white wine in the sauce to lighten the cream sauce, along with a sprinkling of thinly sliced green onion toward the end. Might substitute a few sauteed ramps instead next time. Family loved it!

Simple and very tasty. I used Parma ham, as that was what I had on hand.

This is not something you would eat every day MEM. You can make adjustments to reduce the fat and sodium. Treat yourself once in a while, relax and enjoy, life is short so don't miss out on simple pleasures.

Well, I followed the recipe to the letter, no judgmental substitutions or modifications, and it was great!

a little mint or basil is a nice addition.

I heat the peas and prosciutto in the cream. It helps separate the prosciutto strips

I used half and half in place of the of the heavy cream. It is lighter to eat. Toss the prosciutto strips at the very last minute, briefly.I added one clove of finely minced garlic to the butter and sauteed for a minute before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pan. A dry white wine was used to lighten the sauce and I finished it all with a sprinkling of thinly sliced green onions.I would just thaw the "tiny peas" under hot water for a second

Cream substitue: cup of milk and 2 tabspoons cornstartch

I'm allergic to peas. I used aparagus; I just threw it in with the pasta for the last four minutes.

Really delicious. However, the pasta got cold quickly, even though I worked as fast as possible and served promptly. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping this hot from the kitchen to the table and a bit beyond?

So delicious and so easy! I added fresh peas to the pasta water in the last minute of cooking and drained them together to save on dishes. Like other reviewers, I used half and half for a lighter sauce. I also added the zest of half a lemon to brighten it some. Will definitely make again.

Used half the butter and a high-quality Olio Novello to dress at the end, was delicious. Also used half the cream to lighten

This was so good! Made one serving with three slices of prosciutto, 45g, and 80g pasta which was plenty. I took the strips of fat from the ends of the ham and cooked a couple of cloves of garlic in that. Didn't use any butter. Probably used more parmesan, 23g. Used pasta water to thin to nice consistency. Despise measurements in cups for everything but especially cheese as the amount changes considerably depending on how it's grated. Used more peas and and will add mushrooms next time.

I toasted the chopped prosciutto w/o any oil or butter. Its own fat melted quickly and once toasted it added nice texture to the pasta.

I put the pease in with the pasta two minutes before Pasta is done. Saves the step of heating separately.

Great weeknight meal! Perfect for leftover lunches. Added a little extra cream and about a cup of reserved pasta water to smooth it through. Delicious!

I read all the notes; added garlic, mint, lemon zest and juice, green onions, heavy cream, chili flakes and pasta water. This was wonderful. Will definitely be a repeat.

I have been making this exact recipe for years. James Beard must have stolen it from me LOL

Delicious. I made it exactly as written. Next time, I'll use a very light olive oil in place of most of the butter, and half-and-half instead of the heavy cream. This recipe seems highly adaptable to pasta primavera or shrimp scampi with garlic, or whatever. A great find I will make again. Thank you, James Beard!

Actually many people have allergies to fresh fruits & vegetables. For some, cooking decreases the reaction. Think before you judge.

I added a handful or two of arugula for a little peppery texture! It was delish. This is now forever in the repetoire.

Very easy recipe with little mess. We prefer making it with bow tie pasta because the prosciutto and peas tend tend to clump together with spaghetti or linguini. One other note, half and half works just as well (and in a pinch I bet you could use regular milk but heavy cream obviously better).

This was a family fav for many many years, then I forgot about it. Pulled it out the other night, and it was just as great (and easy) as remembered. My original recipe is for half the pasta, with snow peas or sugar snaps, and didn't list butter. Next time I'll try it with butter... A wonderful summer dinner with a good crusty bread!

A real last minute, go to, keeper! Loved it.