Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Crispy Pancetta and Mint

Cooking With Rania - "Low Country Cooking"
KDKA Pittsburgh Today Live 8/10/2011

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Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Crispy Pancetta and Mint

INGREDIENTS

1 pound sugar snap peas, stem ends and strings removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1/4 pound pancetta, thinly sliced, cut crosswise in 1/4-dice

¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cups baby arugula
½ Vidalia onion, sliced thin
¼ cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese or more to taste
8 to 10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of well-salted ice water and set it nearby. Add the peas to the boiling water, let the water return to a boil; cook for just a minute or until the peas turn bright green. Remove peas from water and immediately plunge them into the ice water. When the peas are cold, drain them and lay on paper towels.

Coat a medium sauté pan with olive oil, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Set pan over medium heat and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the pancetta and cook until crispy. Add vinegar. Turn off the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the arugula, snap peas and onion, along with the prosciutto and any juices from the pan. Toss well. Add the Parmesan and mint, then taste and adjust salt if needed.