Gemelli Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gemelli and cook until just shy of al dente (follow package time minus 1–2 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Warm liquids

In a medium saucepan or wide skillet over medium heat, combine the broth and heavy cream. Warm until small bubbles form at the edges but do not boil, about 3–4 minutes.

Melt cheese into sauce

Add the gorgonzola, Parmesan, butter, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to the warmed cream mixture. Stir continuously until the cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3–5 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen with 2–4 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water.

Cook peas and combine

While the sauce is warming, blanch fresh peas in the pot used for pasta for 1 minute, or heat thawed frozen peas in a small saucepan until warmed through. Drain and add peas to the sauce; stir to combine.

Add pasta and prosciutto

Add the drained gemelli to the sauce and toss gently to coat, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky consistency (start with 2 tablespoons and add up to 1/2 cup). Tear or fold in the prosciutto so it warms in the sauce but does not fully melt—this keeps some texture.

Season and finish

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Stir in lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley. Let the pasta sit in the warm sauce off the heat for 1 minute to marry flavors.

Serve

Portion the gemelli into bowls, sprinkle extra grated Parmesan and a few extra parsley leaves if desired. Serve immediately so the sauce remains creamy.