There’s almost nothing you cannot add to pasta to make a meal on the fly.  Witness last night’s dinner, a combination of pancetta, onions, garlic, snow peas, sun dried tomatoes, and olive oil and Romano:

FETTUCCINE WITH PANCETTA & PEAS

Simply done – 4 ounces of diced pancetta from Trader Joe’s sautéed until crisp and then removed to a bowl.  About 1/2 cup diced sweet onion, a plump chopped garlic clove, and some diced sun-dried tomatoes lightly sautéed in the pancetta fat until softened, adding a bit of olive oil if it appears too dry.  Snow peas blanched quickly in the pasta water and added to the bowl.  7 ounces fettuccine cooked al dente, then drained and tossed in the hot pasta pot with about 1/3 cup grated Romano, a pinch of nutmeg,  and everything else.

This could also be done with frozen peas, but having none on hand, the snow peas made a nice substitute – and the colors were so appealing.