If there were ever a reliable, fast, and affordable go-to weeknight dinner, pasta would be it. In this case, it’sTrader Joe’s egg pappardelle pasta, which not only cooks up in no time (just 6 to 7 minutes will get you to al dente), it also makes a good substitute for fresh pasta in a pinch.
The easy garlicky cream sauce starts with a cold pan, a touch of olive oil, and some prosciutto slices. After the slices get crisped through and placed to the side to drain, you’ll steep some heavy cream with sautéed garlic and any scraped up bits of prosciutto that might be lingering in the pan. As many great pasta dishes go, the heavy lifter here is the reserved pasta cooking liquid, which transforms these noodles into a glossy little dish. Hand-torn shards of the crispy prosciutto bring welcome texture, salt, and some architectural fun.
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What you’ll need
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Large Skillet
$75 At Amazon
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Colander
$11 At Amazon
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Microplane Grater
$16 At Amazon
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Citrus Juicer
$15 At Amazon
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Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Ingredients
2 servings
Step 1
Pour1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oilinto a cold large skillet; arrange2 thin slices prosciuttoin an even layer in pan. Set over medium-low heat and cook, turning occasionally, until prosciutto is crisp, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; set aside. Reserve skillet.
Step 2
Cookone 8-oz. package Trader Joe’s egg pappardelle pasta or 8 oz. other dried pappardellein a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat remaining1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oilin reserved skillet over medium-low. Cook2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in½ cup heavy cream, increase heat to medium, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes; reduce heat to low. Using a Microplane, finelygrate zest of 1 lemoninto sauce. Cut lemon in half and squeeze in juice from 1 half. Cut remaining lemon half into wedges; set aside for serving. Stir in2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan.
Step 4
Add pasta and ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Cook, tossing often and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed (you’ll probably use about ¾ cup), until pasta is coated and glossy. Season withfreshly ground black pepper; taste and season withkosher saltif needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls. Tear reserved prosciutto over and season with more pepper. Serve with reserved lemon wedges.
