Place frozen peas in a bowl of water to being thawing.
Start boiling the water for the pasta. You want a large pan with about 4 quarts of water.
Add chopped onions with just enough olive oil to sauté. The pancetta will add a lot of flavor and fat to the sauce.
Once the onions begin to become transparent/ or golden if you prefer, add the garlic.
Add pancetta to the onions and garlic. Keep heat on low.
Drain peas.
Add to sauce. Cook for only a couple of minutes more and then remove from heat.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add a handful of sea salt.
Add the pasta and stir continuously for about three minutes. Then, stir occasionally until the pasta is al dente. I have found this is about 2 minutes before recommended cooking time.
Drain pasta and combine with sauce. Add Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.
La scarpetta!
