Easy Authentic Italian Peas and Pancetta Side Dish

This Authentic Italian Peas and Pancetta recipe is as tasty as it is easy! Tender sweet peas and pancetta are sauteed in olive oil and shallots to make a flavorful side dish ready in just 15 minutes with little prep work!

This Italian recipe is similar to my Easy Italian Peas and Onions Recipe which is a good alternative this this recipe if you don’t have pancetta on hand.

Piselli e Pancetta is a traditional side dish full of flavor from the crispy pancetta and sweet peas. 

With only a handful of ingredients you can make this flavorful vegetable side dish for a quick weeknight dinner or simple holiday side dish that goes with nearly any main dish. It’s gluten free.

This is a great side dish to make for busy weeknights because it requires little prep work after a long day. 

You may have see pasta e piselli which is peas and pasta made with pancetta. It’s a dish that orginated from the region in which my family is from which is Campania in Southern Italy in the Naples area. You’ll often see this dish made with orecchiette pasta (litle ears). This is a similar Italian recipe.

What is pancetta

Pancetta is salt-cured pork belly. It tastes similar to bacon and is sometimes referred to as Italian bacon. Pancetta is used in pasta dishes such as Carbonarra.

Where do I find pancetta?

I buy pancetta reasonably priced at Lidl (German grocery store.) They have good European finds.

Unfortunately, you may not find pancetta at your local grocery store. It’s harder to find in areas of the country that don’t have a big Italian influence. Italian delis and Italian grocery stores are likely to have it although, it may not be already diced. 

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Authentic Italian Peas and Pancetta

​Ingredients

*The full printable recipe is in the recipe card below.

• frozen peas (canned or fresh)
• diced pancetta
• shallots (or yellow onions)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper

​Instructions

1. First, in a large skillet, add olive oil and chopped shallots (or yellow onions) and cook 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat.
2. Then, add the diced pancetta and peas, stir, cover and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. See recipe card for instructions for frozen peas, fresh peas and canned peas.
3. Last, add salt and black pepper to taste.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrgerator for a few days.

What goes well with Italian Peas and Pancetta

It goes very well with main dishes such as ham, Sauteed Flounder with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce, pork tenderloin, chicken cutlets, lamb chops and meatloaf.

Make this authentic Italian peas and pancetta recipe when you want a flavorful and easy vegetable side dish quickly. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and holiday dinners when you already have a lot to do. Bring a taste of Italy to your dinner table the easy way!

Buon appetito!

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Easy Italian Peas and Onions Recipe

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