Creamy Fettuccine With Sweet Peas And Prosciutto

In the Pantry Challenge video series, Lauren Braun Costello, a chef, author and food stylist, shows busy moms how to make wholesome meals using ingredients they already have in their pantries, solving their unique cooking challenges. In this episode, Lauren helps Peggy S., a busy mother of four and registered nurse, prepare a creamy and cheesy dish that her son will appreciate. But most of all, she wants a dish that will be easy to prepare in the midst of her busy schedule.

Lauren starts by preparing the pasta sauce, which gets its rich, creamy flavor from cream cheese. She combines butter, half and half, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and stirs the sauce gently with a whisk until the cream cheese has melted. (By using a whisk, she ensures that the sauce stays smooth and creamy as it melts.) The sauce continues to simmer for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat until it is really thick, at which point Lauren adds cooked fettuccine to the sauce and mixes it well. Lauren likes to use fettuccine when preparing creamy pasta dishes because the flat, wider noodles provide more surface area for the thicker sauce. To add color and flavor, Lauren mixes in sweet peas and chopped prosciutto. As a final touch before serving, she tops the pasta with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and additional grated Parmesan.

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