Thanksgiving Peas (with Pear and Pancetta) -

Thanksgiving Peas (with Pear and Pancetta)

This is one of my most popular Thanksgiving side dishes! It's a simple mix of frozen peas, crispy pancetta and sweet pears with a subtle, lemony Dijon mustard flavor. It's easy to make and will add a festive, savory touch to your Thanksgiving dinner table! Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Equipment

All-Clad Saute Pan I love how this saute pan has a higher edge for easy tossing. Plus, this is the brand I've had for years and is such good quality!

Ingredients

½ pound pancetta cut into small dice
3 medium shallots halved and thinly sliced about 1 cup thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 ounces frozen peas
1 pear
1 lemon zested and juiced about 3 tablespoons juice and 1 teaspoon zest
½ cup roughly chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep the pear. Peel, slice, and small dice the pear. Place it in a small bowl and stir with the lemon juice. Set aside.
Cook the pancetta. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off some of the rendered fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pan.
Add the shallots. Add the sliced shallots and cook for about a minute, until softened, then stir in the mustard.
Add the peas and pears. Add the peas and pears to the pan. Stir for about 5 minutes, until the peas are warmed through.
Stir in pancetta and parsley. Turn off the heat, then stir in half the pancetta, the parsley, and black pepper.
Serve. Transfer the peas to a large serving bowl, top with the remaining pancetta, and garnish with lemon zest.

Notes

If you can, buy a pre-diced pancetta package - it'll save you time! I use two 4-ounce packages for this recipe.
This recipe serves about 6 people, but you can easily double the recipe in a larger pan during the holidays, to serve up what I'm sure will be the most popular Thanksgiving side dish!
Store leftovers: This will stay good in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
For reheating: You can warm it back up in the pan with a drizzle of olive oil or in the microwave.
Enjoy leftovers as a side dish for lunch and dinner. But my favorite is enjoying this for breakfast with a fried egg or poached egg on top, or mixed into scrambled eggs!