Peas and Pancetta – Easy Italian Side Dish
Updated Dec 31, 2023, Published Sep 13, 2021
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Peas and Pancetta is the simplest Italian side dish yet it’s packed full of delicious flavours from the salty cured pancetta, sweet peas, garlic and fresh parsley. Serve this easy side with almost any main dish or with an Italian roast dinner.
If you’re looking for a quick, healthy and insanely delicious side dish this is it. Peas and pancetta is such a simple and classic Italian recipe that pretty much goes with anything.
We like to serve it with roast meats like our Italian Roast Beef with Marsala and Onions but it’s so versatile and delicious you could serve it with most meats and fish for any occasion.
What’s even better is how quick and easy it is to make (about 20 minutes total). See our full recipe below including step by step photos, tips and helpful video, enjoy!
Ingredients – what you need
See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Peas – we use frozen peas to make this recipe so it can be made all year round. If you use fresh peas you’ll need to add liquid (water, wine or stock) to cook them.
- Pancetta – use the best quality pancetta you can get your hands on as this will make a huge difference in the overall flavour.
- Garlic – fresh garlic is a must don’t use garlic powder.
- Onion – a finely chopped onion add delicious flavour, you could also use 1-2 shallots.
- Parsley – fresh herbs are so important (don’t use dried) if you don’t have fresh parsley you can use fresh basil or mint or a mix of them.
Step by step photos and recipe instructions
Add the pancetta to a hot pan and fry until crispy (if your pancetta isn’t fatty enough you might need to add 1 tbsp of olive oil).
Once crispy, remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil if needed and fry the chopped onion for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Once soft, add the sliced garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant (photos 1-4).
Next, add the frozen peas straight to the pan and cook until defrosted and cooked all the way through, stirring often. This should only take a few minutes (photos 5 & 6).
Once cooked, turn off the heat and stir through the cooked crispy pancetta and fresh parsley. Serve (photos 7 & 8).
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Peas cook fast – don’t overcook the peas so they shrivel up and lose their colour. Make sure they are just cooked (taste one to check) and remove from the heat.
- Olive oil – you may or may not need olive oil depending on how fatty your pancetta is. You can use the pancetta fat to fry the onion and garlic if there is enough.
- Adding salt – pancetta can be very salty so taste the peas at the end of cooking and add salt as needed.
- Fresh vs frozen peas – for convenience we use frozen peas (it also means you ca nmake this recipe all year long) which have excess moisture in them so no liquid is needed. If you use fresh peas you will need to cover them with liquid (water, wine or stock) to cook them.
This side goes with almost any main dish from chicken cutlets, fish, Italian roast beef and more!
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and it’ll still taste delicious. I recommend heating it up in a pan or skillet.
Yes, you can refreeze frozen peas without losing much quality so if you have leftovers and are not planning on using them in the next few days you can freeze them in suitable containers.
More Italian side dishes you might like
- Fagioli all’uccelletto – Beans in Tomato Sauce
- Italian Green Beans In Tomato Sauce
- Parmesan Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli
- La Peperonata – Bell Peppers in Tomato Sauce
- Sauteed Broccolini with Pesto, Pine Nuts & Chilli
If you’ve tried this Peas and Pancetta recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST or sign up to our NEWSLETTER to see more of our delicious food
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Peas and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen peas, (460g)
- 1 cup pancetta, (125g)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, (as needed)
- salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Add the pancetta to a hot pan and fry until crispy (if your pancetta isn’t fatty enough you might need to add 1 tbsp of olive oil).
- Once crispy, remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil if needed and fry the chopped onion for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
- Once soft, add the sliced garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Next, add the frozen peas straight to the pan and cook until defrosted and hot all the way through, stirring often. This should only take a few minutes.
- Once cooked, turn off the heat and stir through the cooked crispy pancetta and fresh parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed (some pancetta can be really salty so you may not need additional salt). Serve.
Video
Notes
- Peas cook fast – don’t overcook the peas so they shrivel up and lose their colour. Make sure they are just cooked (taste one to check) and remove from the heat.
- Olive oil – you may or may not need olive oil depending on how fatty your pancetta is. You can use the pancetta fat to fry the onion and garlic if there is enough.
- Adding salt – pancetta can be very salty so taste the peas at the end of cooking and add salt as needed.
- Fresh vs frozen peas – for convenience we use frozen peas (it also means you can make this recipe all year long) which have excess moisture in them so no liquid is needed. If you use fresh peas you will need to cover them with liquid (water, wine or stock) to cook them.
- Storage and freezing – leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated. You can also freeze them in suitable containers.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
