Pasta with Leeks, Peas and Prosciutto

This is one of the easiest pasta dishes I have ever made. The dish is one of those that takes no effort or time, but the results are impressive. The most time consuming part of this was slicing up leeks, and since leeks cooking in butter is the greatest smell ever, it's well worth it.

Pasta with Leeks, Peas and Prosciutto
courtesy of Everyday Food
serves 4

Ingredients:
coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces spaghetti
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium leeks (6 to 8 ounces each), white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces, well rinsed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 ounces (about cup) thinly sliced prosciutto , cut into thin strips
2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) ricotta salata or Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Directions
1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.

2.While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Add leeks; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add peas; cook, stirring, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.

3.To drained pasta, add leek mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, and prosciutto; season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time, tossing, until a thin sauce coats pasta. (You may not need all the water.) Serve, sprinkled with ricotta salata.

I used Parmesan cheese, not the ricotta salata. I like the prosciutto in this, but the next time I make this pasta I might put the prosciutto in the skillet before the leeks to crisp it up a bit. Overall, this was one of my favorite pasta dishes. The lemon works wonders in bringing all the ingredients together, and the dish can be made in under a half hour.