A white plate of rigatoni pasta with peas, ground meat, and a creamy sauce, garnished with black pepper, on a wooden surface.

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Pasta alla Papalina

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Some recipes are iconic. Some are divine. This one is both. Pasta alla Papalina, or “of the Pope”, was a Roman creation of the 1950s, a luxurious riff on carbonara made to honor a pope who knew that life is too short for anything less than extraordinary. Prosciutto crudo brings a delicate sweetness, a touch of cream makes the sauce flow like silk, and the smell alone will bring your whole family to the table before you have even called them. Consider it a blessing.

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Pasta alla Papalina

Serves 4
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Ingredients

Imperial or Metric
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons 1 ounce unsalted butter
  • ½ small yellow onion, diced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 ounces prosciutto crudo, about 4 slices
  • 12 ounces Rigatoni pasta
  • 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Method

  • Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
  • In a large saute pan, combine olive oil, butter, onion and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until the onion has released all of its flavor into the fat and starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the peas and prosciutto and cook, stirring often for about 3 minutes, or until the peas are bright green and tender. Reduce the heat to low while you cook the pasta.
  • When the water has come to a rolling boil, salt it so it tastes like a seasoned soup. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and Parmigiano. Add some pepper and whisk until smooth.
  • Using a spider strainer, transfer the al dente pasta to the skillet, then add the cream. Cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat. Add the egg mixture (make sure the heat is off, you don’t want scrambled eggs) and mix with the passion of the Italian. Add a splash of pasta cooking water as needed to keep it smooth and glossy.
  • Serve in warm pasta bowls topped with a scrunch of pepper.

Pasta Pot
1 Pasta Pot
Spider
1 Spider
Wooden spoon
1 Wooden spoon
Small bowl
1 Small bowl
Large sauté pan
1 Large sauté pan
Whisk
1 Whisk