So the boyfriend is not coming home for dinner and we leave for vacation tomorrow.

That means two things.

1. I can make something he doesn’t like.

2. I don’t want to buy any groceries since we’re going away for a week.

This means a rummage in the fridge. I cam up with some ricotta cheese and some prosciutto left over from sub night.

The cabinets are always stocked with pasta.

And I make it a point to always have some kind of frozen vegetable in the freezer.

In this case, it’s peas. He hates peas, so that covers point 1.

I don’t know how anyone can eat peas. They’re so fresh and bright and springy. They burst open in your mouth and release their yummy flavor with every bite.

Oh well. I like them, so I’m making them.

This is a super simple dish that you can easily make ahead and toss in the fridge. It’s a good one to make in a huge batch for a party or to leave in the fridge to be portioned out for lunches during the week.

Like I said, I had everything on hand. So you can adjust this to what you have. Frozen broccoli would be really good, too. And if you want to make it vegetarian, you can easily leave off the prosciutto. I like the saltiness it adds, so maybe add a sprinkle of parmesan if you eliminate the prosciutto to give it back that salty bite.

This is an almost no cooking dinner.

Defrost the peas according to the instructions on the package.

Look at those bright green emeralds! I don’t understand how anyone could not want to eat them up.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil.

I’m using these little mini farfalline, or bowtie pasta. Farfallina means little butterfly in Italian. (Farfalla is butterfly. the ina makes the word mean little). The pasta does kind of look like little butterflies.

Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. You can use any shape you like. I prefer something with some shape to it. I don’t like angel hair or spaghetti for this. I like that the farfalline is about the same size as the peas. It makes it easy to eat.

As the pasta cook, rip up some prosciutto and drop it in a dry skillet. Cook over medium until it crisps up.

When the pasta’s done, drain it and toss it in a bowl with the peas.

Add a scoop of ricotta and stir.

Top with the crispy prosciutto.

This is a great bowl to curl up on the couch with. Especially while watching Say Yes to the Dress!

Oh my god. What is she thinking? That dress is atrocious.