Pea & Pancetta Nibbles

Petit Pois & Roasted Garlic Mash in Pancetta Cups

Gotta love the electric green colour of these sweet & salty morsels.

Inspired by Se7en's a Banquet Nine's a Brawl, Lia Rinaldo's idea for appetizer prosciutto cups.  I decided to try something similar using Charcuterie Ratinaud's pancetta. Instead of a cheesy filling, I opted for bright green petit pois mashed with sweet roasted garlic.  Following Lia's instructions, I lined mini muffin tins with lovely swirls of pancetta and baked for about 15 minutes at 400F, just long enough for the pancetta to crisp up.  Let cool completely before adding the filling.

To prepare the filling:

1.5 cups of petit pois steamed 'til tender then shocked in an ice bath

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 whole bulb of garlic roasted wrapped in foil for 30 min at 350F

3 Tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Combine all of the ingredients in the food processor, and pulse until just smooth. 

This pea puree is also nice spread on crostini garnished with some fresh mint or tossed with tagliatelle with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.