Straw and Hay Pasta with Prosciutto
This simple Straw and Hay Pasta with Prosciutto is as pretty as it is delicious! As a bonus, it’s also super quick and easy.
Italian in origin, this Paglia e Fieno is a traditional Italian dish from Siena with a melange of spinach and plain pasta, peas, and prosciutto tossed in a delectable Parmesan cream sauce.
Straw and Hay Pasta
This Straw and Hay Pasta recipe, AKA Paglia e Fieno, is from my mom, and I know exactly why she liked it. The commingling of the green and cream fettuccine noodles has a lovely aesthetic appeal. As an artist, she always wanted our plates to be as beautiful as they were tasty. She served our meals on solid color plates and we sat around our dining room table covered with a rich deep-hued tablecloth.
Our family dinners started at 6 PM, right after the 5:30 national news. When I was in high school, my mom went back to college to get her MFA and pasta dinners appeared more frequently on our table. They came together quickly but were never dull. Adding different veggies, meats and cheeses prevented any monotony. With its al dente pasta, garlic and onions, salty prosciutto, plus peas in a creamy sauce, this straw and hay pasta with prosciutto met those criteria.
How to Make Paglia e Fieno
I used fresh pasta as I had trouble finding dried spinach fettuccine or tagliatelle. You are welcome to use fresh or dried pasta, two colors or just one. If you’re not a fan of peas, add another veggie (just cook it first). This dish goes from stovetop to plate in no time at all and allows for more family time around the table. After all, isn’t that what Sunday meals are all about?
And make sure to invite your children to be a part of the meal-making process. With supervision, even a young child can pour a handful of salt into the pasta water, stir the pasta, measure out the peas. They are much more likely to try new foods when they participate in the preparation. And this pasta is such an easy dinner recipe. Now if only I could backtrack and work with my picky husband!
If you’re looking for more pasta recipes, I recommend this Beef Burgundy Pasta or Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta. Check out all the rest of my Easy Pasta Recipes, too.
Ingredient List for this Straw and Hay Pasta:
You may have most of these ingredients on hand. Though the green and yellow pasta combination makes a lovely presentation, this classic Italian dish will be just as delicious using plain old egg noodles.
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Prosciutto, though you can substitute with pancetta or even sliced ham in a pinch
- Heavy cream
- Frozen peas
- Regular fettuccine and spinach fettuccine, though you may substitute with tagliatelle or even just plain egg noodles if desired
- Grated Parmesan
Straw and Hay Pasta
Adapted from Wolfgang Puck
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup finely minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces prosciutto, julienne
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 6 ounces fettuccine
- 6 ounces spinach fettuccine
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan, then add the onions and cook till translucent.
- Next, add garlic and prosciutto and cook about a minute more while stirring. Add the cream and bring to a simmer and cook till slightly thickened.
- Season to taste with pepper and salt if only if needed as the prosciutto adds saltiness.
- Add the peas and remove from the heat.
- Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package directions.
- Return the sauce to the heat. Add the drained pasta and toss till well combined. Add the Parmesan, toss and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 539Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1236mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 21g
38 Comments on “Straw and Hay Pasta with Prosciutto”
This is a beautiful dish! It has all the things I need for comfort food. Love the cream and prosciutto. Yum!!
Oh yes, pasta is the perfect dish and your Mom’s Straw and Hay Pasta looks and sounds beautiful. I agree, that food should always look as beautiful as it tastes…
I never get tired of pasta. So many different things you can do with it! Like this terrific dish. I’ve had this before, but it’s been ages and ages. Now, of course, you have me hankering after it! Good stuff – thanks.
Mmmmmm, this is comfort food at its finest. Sounds and looks amazing, Liz!
This is gorgeous, as always!
What a lovely dish! And you are right, you can do so much with pasta! When I make fettuccine, I generally go half regular/half spinach as well. It’s just pretty!
This reminds me of our carbonara. Love this idea of missing pastas. Great dish and memory. Pasta dishes seem to have a special spot in most people’s childhood memories.
My mom may have made tasty food, but certainly not a beautiful as this dish. And my little guy and hubby (and me) would devour it!
I love the name of this dish!
I don’t think you can ever go wrong with a pasta dish like this one. Nothing better than a little meat, veggies, and a few carbs to settle you in for the evening. I think your mom had that all figured out Liz.
THIS is a welcome addition to my dinner table! YUM!
I love fresh pasta dishes! Who am I kidding, I love ALL pasta dishes! Yours sounds so good, Liz!
Your family table as a kid must have been fabulous. My dad insisted on a vinyl tablecloth. I don’t know why but he just didn’t like regular tablecloth or placemats. Your pasta is certainly pretty and I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks. I like fresh pasta too. I’d have to swap out the peas for something else though because of my picky husband.
Liz, I laughed when I read your post because our meals always revolved around the evening news. I love that your mom saw your dinner plates as a work of art. I try to do the same by introducing new foods with great color combinations!
It’s been a dream of mind to get my MFA, maybe one day….
I love the simplicity of this dish. I will have to incorporate this into my weekday repertoire!
I’d eat pasta everyday if my husband was ok with it. This looks so simple but so yummy! I can’t wait to try it!
I’ve made a similar pasta more times than I remember, and it’s still amazing, no matter how many years (decades?) have passed! A stunning recipe, simple and yummy Liz!
Hi Lizzy! I love pasta especially fresh pasta but it’s not easy to get fresh pasta here unless I make them myself!
I have some parma in the fridge… read this recipe just in time!
This is the kind of meal I love! Especially now that it’s cooling down in Philly:@)
Your mother sounds like such an inspiring figure in and out of the kitchen, Liz. Love how age didn’t stop her from getting an MFA.
Your pasta dish seems creamy and comforting…Great point that kids can help even if it’s just to throw in the salt. Everyone likes to feel they’ve contributed =)
Thank you for the recipe!