Pasta Risotto with Peas and Pancetta

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. garlic-flavored oil
• 6 oz. cubed pancetta
• 1 1/4 cups frozen petits pois
• 8 oz. orzo pasta
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• Salt, to taste
• 1 Tbs. soft butter
• 2 Tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Warm the oil in a heavy pan that will hold everything later; a Dutch oven or saucepan of 10 inches diameter should be big enough. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until it becomes crisp and bronzed, then add the peas and stir for a minute or so until the frozen look leaves them.

Add the pasta and turn it about in the pancetta and peas, then pour in the boiling water. Add salt (cautiously, especially if this is for children—the pancetta is salty, as is the Parmigiano-Reggiano later); then turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, though check on it a couple of times and give a stir or two, to stop it from sticking and to see if you need to add a little more water from the kettle.

When it’s ready, the pasta should be soft and starchy and the water absorbed. Beat the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano into the pan, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls.