Fettuccine pasta is coated with a cream sauce, flavored with garlic and a splash of Vermouth, mixed with peas and ham, then tossed with Parmesan. The sauce for this dish is made while the fettuccine is cooking. Simple, easy, and delicious.This serves 4 - 6.
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, set a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ham and cook until heated, about 2 minutes.
Stir in Vermouth and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the cream and peas and bring just to a low simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened and peas are heated through. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. I use the same measuring cup I used for the cream to “wash” it out.
Transfer pasta to a large bowl and toss with the cream sauce and Parmesan cheese. It will seem soupy at first but it will thicken as it sits. You can add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. If you need more to make it creamy, add the rest. Serve hot.
Notes
There is one caveat to this dish, it doesn’t reheat well. You can reheat it but the cream separates and it loses its creamy smooth texture. If a full recipe is too much, halve it.