Description
A festive and flavorful side dish made with tender peas, sweet pear, crispy pancetta, shallots, lemon, and Dijon mustard. It is quick to prepare, beautifully balanced, and perfect for a holiday table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 pound pancetta, cut into small dice
- 3 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 16 ounces frozen peas
- 1 medium pear, peeled and diced small
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice and 1 teaspoon zest)
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the pear, then toss it with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp and golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 3 tablespoons of rendered fat in the skillet.
- Add the sliced shallots to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute, until softened.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, then add the frozen peas and diced pear.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are heated through and the pear is slightly tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in half of the pancetta, the chopped parsley, and black pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining pancetta, and garnish with the lemon zest before serving.
Notes
- Use a firm ripe pear so it keeps its shape while cooking.
- Do not overcook the peas, they should stay bright green and tender.
- You can prep the pear, shallots, parsley, and pancetta ahead of time for easier holiday cooking.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
