fettuccine with peas, asparagus & pancetta

So I was reading up on fooding with emily's blog, and it got me hungry for some creamy pasta carbonara. However, that can be quite heavy, and with the weather warming up, I was in the mood for something slightly more Springlike. I had this fettuccine recipe set aside for sometime, weary of adding all that lemon and lemon zest to my pasta. I'm glad I went for it though - the flavors blend seamlessly, and the lemon adds a great dimension to a traditional dish. Here's what you'll need:

• 12 ounces of fettuccine (3/4 of a box)
• 1/2 lb. of pancetta, chopped (could do proscuitto as well...could also do a whole pound if you're feeling lucky)
• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or more, if you're like me)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus additional for serving)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (the smaller container on the shelf
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of one squeezed lemon
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 bunch of sliced fresh basil

Begin by boiling the water and cooking your pasta per the box directions. Drain, saving 1/4 of the pasta water.

While the pasta's boiling, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium-hot skillet and cook the pancetta until crisp. Slice and place on a paper towel to drain.

In the pancetta grease, add the garlic cook until browned. Next, add in the asparagus and cook until bright green (3-5 minutes). Then add in the peas, cooking until thawed (they'll turn bright green as well). Turn the heat down to keep warm until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done, add the vegetable mix into the pot. Add to that the lemon juice, lemon zest, basil, heavy cream, parmesan, remaining olive oil, pancetta and the 1/4 cup of pasta water. Mix until the cheese melts, and serve (probably about 4 servings.) It took under a half hour total to cook, and made a pretty awesome pasta dish for Spring.

Bon chappétit!