adapted from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rosetto Kasper

8 oz. Rossi Pasta
1/2 cup fresh sweet peas or frozen tiny peas
4 quarts salted water
6 TB. unsalted butter
2 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or 1 large vine-ripened tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 teas. imported Italian tomato paste
generous pinch of sugar (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook fresh peas in a steamer over boiling water until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Turn them into a strainer and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking and set the color. If you are using frozen peas, simply defrost them.

About 20 minutes before dining, place shallow soup dishes in a warm oven to heat. Bring the salted water to a fierce boil. While the water is coming to a boil, melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add about one third of the prosciutto and all the onion. Slowly cook 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and clear, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula. Take care not to brown them. Stir in the garlic and remove the skillet from the heat.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to instructions. Drain the pasta and immediately finish making the sauce. Turn the heat to medium-high under the onions, and stir in the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Heat 1 minute, or until the tomato skins are seared, taking care not to break up the tomato pieces. Don't cook the tomato; you are simply heating through, keeping its fresh flavor intact. Stir in the sugar and th peas, cooking only until the peas are heated through, about 30 seconds. Taste for seasoning. Turn the drained pasta into the skillet, and add the remaining prosciutto. Turn gently with two wooden spatulas, coating the pasta with the sauce. Spoon the into the heated soup dishes and serve immediately. Pass the cheese separately.