you can do this.

Food is life, people. And since we're in a recession, you know you should be cooking at home a LOT more than you are right now. Cooking can be really easy ( I always say this to friends, and they're like "You always say that!" but it's true.) and it's way CHEAPER than eating out. So- shrug off the 'I can't cook' thing, and read this carefully. You can do this! It's a recipe pulled from the last issue of Domino magazine, after receiving an urgent text message from friend-- "You MUST make the pasta on page 51!". ok! I've adjusted it a bit to make it even easier and a bit more manageable- swapping orecchiette for the suggested reginette wide noodle. It's a really quick cooking, lovely warm weather recipe with fresh seasonal flavor.

If you're cooking for 2 people, use 1/2 lb of pasta, for 4, throw the whole bag in, and roughly double the following ingredients.

1 cup of peas (frozen is easiest, and generally sweetest)
1/4 lb of prosciutto, chopped coarsely (domestic is FINE- don't listen to what the guy behind the counter tells you)
1 leek, white and pale green stalk finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped (burn a candle on the counter as you chop to eliminate 'shallot eyes')
you need cheese- i'm leaving that part up to you. I stick with around a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup, but it's your choice, yo. Parmesan, Manchego, goat, etc-whatever you like will be yummy here, either grated on top or crumbled into the mix.
handful of fresh mint leaves
lemon zest (this seems precious- but it really makes a flavor punch. just use a potato peeler and curl off a few slices, chop em up)
coarse sea salt, healthy sprinkle

Get your water boiling- large pot, LOTS OF SALT- it should taste like sea water.

In a saucepan, get your leeks and shallots softened up over low heat with a splash of olive oil, and some garlic if you feel like it. Once they're translucent, sling the peas in and get them coated with the oil, now infused with delicious flavor. They'll cook pretty fast if they're frozen- if you've had the foresight to defrost, good for you.

Once the peas are cooked through, turn off the heat and add the torn proscuitto, mint, lemon zest, and a drizzle more of olive oil. Mix it all up. Once your pasta has been cooked to al dente, drain it in a colander, but keep a small container in the sink to reserve a tiny bit of the pasta water- that starchy, salty water is the perfect thing to splash on the pasta as a sauce-ifier. (you should always do this!)

Combine drained pasta and peas and such in the saucepan, coating the pasta thoroughly with the contents of the pan- dry pasta is your enemy. Once thoroughly incorporated, splash with a lil of that reserved water if you think it seems dry, then dish it out, toss with cheese, a few more mint leaves and sprinkle that sea salt on top. Enjoy- you just made dinner!