Bucatini Marinara al Piselli Prosciutto e Portabella

    Bucatini or spaghetti with peas and prosciutto is a classic standard Italian pasta entree.  The sauce is often made to order.  Mushrooms are sometimes added to the recipe.
     The only Italian chef from Rome that I worked with during my career was Egyptian born.  That chef ran a successful Italian restaurant in New Jersey and the food was all recipes from Rome.  The cooking style of Rome has its own characteristics.  The tomato sauces that are made in Rome are only made with the very best Italian canned San Marzano tomatoes or fresh over ripe plum tomatoes.  The chef's motto was "With tomatoes this good, no extensive preparation is necessary!" We cooked every tomato sauce on the menu to order, marinara style.
    
     Bucatini Marinara al Piselli Prosciutto e Portabella:
     Cook 1 portion of bucatini pasta in boiling water over high heat, till it becomes al dente.
     While the pasta is cooking, the sauce can be made!
     Heat a saute pan over medium/medium low heat.
     Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
     Add 1 clove of minced garlic.
     Saute the garlic till it becomes a golden color.
     Add 3-4 thin sliced small portabella mushrooms.
     Saute the mushrooms, till they become tender.
     Add 3 tablespoons of small chopped Parma prosciutto ham.
     Saute for a few seconds, till the prosciutto aroma develops.
     Add 1 1/4 cups of imported Italian canned crushed San Marzano plum tomatoes.
     Add 1 pinch of basil.
     Add 1 pinch of oregano.
     Add 2 pinches of finely chopped Italian parsley.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
     Reduce the temperature to low heat.
     Simmer and stir the sauce and be sure to stir the olive oil into the tomatoes.
     Just before the pasta finishes cooking, add 1/2 cup of peas.
     When the bucatini pasta is cooked al dente, drain the water off of the pasta.
     Add the bucatini pasta to the sauce.
     Toss the sauce and pasta together.
     Place the pasta on a plate.
     Sprinkle a little bit of finely chopped Italian parsley over the pasta.
     Sprinkle some grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the pasta.
    
     This pasta recipe is loaded with great flavor even though only a few ingredients are used.  The reaction of prosciutto ham and tomato in a sauce is unforgettably delicious!  It really does not take much prosciutto to flavor this recipe.  The peas and mushrooms make this pasta entree very light on the tummy.  The top grade imported crushed Italian tomatoes do not require much cooking time.  This is a very nice New Jersey Italian version of the classic Roma Italian peas and prosciutto pasta.  Yum!  Ciao Baby!  ...  Shawna