Pasta alle Sette P (Seven P’s Pasta)

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Pasta alle Sette P is a delicious Tuscan pasta made with seven ingredients all beginning with the letter P. The creamy tomato sauce is unbelievably delicious made with leeks, pancetta and peas. This recipe is really easy to prepare and can be adapted with what you have at home.

A bowl of penne pasta with a creamy tomato Tuscan sauce on a wooden background with a blue napkin at the side.
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Pasta alle Sette P (seven P’s pasta) also known as Pasta ai Sette Peccati (pasta of the 7 sins) is a delicious Tuscan pasta that uses 7 ingredients all beginning with the letter P (in Italian, of course).

Here’s what’s in it…

  1. Pancetta (unsmoked)
  2. Porro (leek)
  3. Pomodori Pelati (canned plum tomatoes)
  4. Panna (heavy cream)
  5. Piselli (peas)
  6. Prezzemolo (parsley)
  7. Parmigiano Reggiano

There are a few different variations of this recipe, some add in Peperoncino (chilli flakes) for a bit of heat and some use Peperoni (bell peppers) or even Patate (potatoes).

We really love this version, it’s not a combination of ingredients I’d automatically think of adding together into a sauce but it works really well and tastes so delicious!

Ingredients

An overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make a creamy tomato Tuscan pasta called 'Penne alle sette P'.

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Ingredient notes and substitutions

  • Canned plum tomatoes – you can also use chopped tomatoes such as Mutti Polpa or passata (known as tomato puree in the US).
  • Cream – for a lighter version you can skip the cream altogether. Just add some pasta water to the tomato sauce if it reduces too much.
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Visual walk-through of the recipe

  1. Fry the pancetta – add a light drizzle of olive oil to a pan and fry the pancetta until lightly golden then add the chopped leek and cook until soft (photos 1-3).
Four photos in a collage showing how to fry pancetta, leeks and tomatoes together.
  1. Add tomatoes – once softened, add the tomatoes. You can either crush them by hand before adding them or use the side of a wooden spoon to crush them in the pan (photo 4).
  2. Add the cream – add the cream and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta to boiling salted water at this point and continue to simmer the sauce for another 10 minutes (photos 5 and 6).
Four photos in a collage showing how to make a creamy tomato pasta sauce with creamy, peas and parsley.
  1. Add the peas, parsley and cheese – about 2-3 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the peas and parsley to the sauce and stir through. Add the cooked penne pasta to the sauce with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and toss to coat in the sauce then serve (photos 7 and 8).
A close up of a creamy Tuscan pasta in a bowl called 'pasta alle 7 P' the bowl is on a wooden table.

More delicious pasta recipes to try

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Pasta alle Sette P

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By Emily

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Pasta alle Sette P is a delicious Tuscan pasta made with seven ingredients all beginning with the letter P. The creamy tomato sauce is super comforting and delicious made with leeks, pancetta and peas. This recipe is really easy to prepare and can be adapted with what you have at home.
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Ingredients

  • 14 oz (400g) Penne pasta, (or other short pasta)
  • 1 scant cup (125g) unsmoked pancetta, cubed
  • 1 leek
  • 14 oz (400g) canned plum tomatoes
  • ½ cup (110ml) heavy cream , (double cream UK)
  • 1 small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (70g) frozen peas
  • ½ cup (30g) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Salt
  • Olive oil

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Cut the leek in half lengthways and rinse it under cold running water. Pat it dry and finely slice it.
  • Heat a large pan on a medium heat and add a light drizzle of olive oil. Add the cubed pancetta and fry until slightly browned.
  • Once browned, add the sliced leek and saute it until soft. Add the plum tomatoes, breaking them up in the pan with the side of a wooden spoon (you can also crush them by hand before adding).
  • Add the cream to the tomatoes and stir everything together with a pinch of salt. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes then add the pasta to the salted boiling water to cook (until al dente). Continue to simmer the sauce gently for another 10 minutes (15 minutes total).
  • About 2-3 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the frozen peas and finely chopped parsley to the sauce and stir them through. Add the pasta with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and toss to coat in the sauce.
  • Serve with extra grated Parmigiano on top.

Helpful Info for All Recipes

  • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
  • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
  • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
  • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
  • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
  • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
  • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 594mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1183IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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3 Comments

  1. Frank | Memorie di Angelina says:

    Love the name! And it sounds easy and delicious. A winning combination in my book. And it just so happens I have all the ingredients on hand. Tonights’ dinner?

  2. sari mazen says:

    my grandma use to make minest with peas. This looks very close?
    Don’t think she use panchetta. Her version was more peasant.
    What are your thoughts. I love your recipes. My supper market got the Mutti
    Plum tomato during the holiday. I bought 24 cans!!
    Thank You,
    Sari

    1. Emily says:

      Ciao Sari, that’s so good you stocked up on Mutti tomatoes they’re such good quality! You could leave out the pancetta if you prefer ๐Ÿ™‚