Why This Recipe Works: Good ingredients are at the heart of all Italian cooking, so we chose ours through careful testing. Opting for a dried Italian-made egg pasta over traditional dried pasta got us very close to the texture of labor-intensive fresh pasta. Frozen peas, picked at peak ripeness, offered the most consistently sweet results. To capture the full flavor of pricey prosciutto di Parma, we infuse a portion of it into the cream and then finish with raw strips that retain their aromatic intensity and supple texture. Finally, we bucked tradition and subbed in unconventional aged Gruyère for a portion of the Parmesan cheese.

• 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound tagliatelle
• 1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas, thawed
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• 1 ounce Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

1. Slice 5 ounces prosciutto crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips; set aside. Mince remaining 1 ounce prosciutto. Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallot and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream and minced prosciutto and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cream mixture measures 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
3. Add 1 cup reserved cooking water, cream mixture, prosciutto strips, peas, Parmesan, Gruyère, and 1 teaspoon pepper to pasta. Gently toss until pasta is well coated. Transfer pasta to serving bowl and serve immediately, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed.

• NOTE FROM THE TEST KITCHEN: We prefer imported Prosciutto di Parma or domestically made prepackaged Volpi Traditional Prosciutto. If using slice-to-order prosciutto, ask for it to be sliced 1/16 inch thick.
• Look for a hard Gruyère that is aged for at least 10 months and use a rasp-style grater or the small holes of box grater to grate it.
• Tagliatelle is a long, flat, dry egg pasta that is about 1/4 inch wide. If you cannot find tagliatelle, substitute pappardelle.