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–+ servings
A white bowl of Thanksgiving peas side dish.
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5 from 9 votes

Thanksgiving Peas (with Pear and Pancetta)

This is one of my most popular Thanksgiving side dishes! It's a simple mix of frozen peas, crispy pancetta and sweet pears with a subtle, lemony Dijon mustard flavor. It's easy to make and will add a festive, savory touch to your Thanksgiving dinner table! Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: peas and pancetta, Thanksgiving Peas, thanksgiving side dish, thanksgiving side dishes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Equipment

  • All-Clad Saute Pan I love how this saute pan has a higher edge for easy tossing. Plus, this is the brand I've had for years and is such good quality!

Ingredients

  • ½ pound pancetta cut into small dice
  • 3 medium shallots halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup thinly sliced)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 16 ounces frozen peas
  • 1 pear
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice and 1 teaspoon zest)
  • ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Prep the pear. Peel, slice, and small dice the pear. Place it in a small bowl and stir with the lemon juice. Set aside.
    A bowl of chopped pears.
  • Cook the pancetta. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off some of the rendered fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pan.
    A pan with cooked pancetta.
  • Add the shallots. Add the sliced shallots and cook for about a minute, until softened, then stir in the mustard.
    Cooked shallots in a pan.
  • Add the peas and pears. Add the peas and pears to the pan. Stir for about 5 minutes, until the peas are warmed through.
    Cooked peas and pears in a pan.
  • Stir in pancetta and parsley. Turn off the heat, then stir in half the pancetta, the parsley, and black pepper.
    A pan with Thanksgiving peas side dish.
  • Serve. Transfer the peas to a large serving bowl, top with the remaining pancetta, and garnish with lemon zest.
    A bowl of Thanksgiving peas with pancetta.

Video

Notes

  • If you can, buy a pre-diced pancetta package - it'll save you time! I use two 4-ounce packages for this recipe.
  • This recipe serves about 6 people, but you can easily double the recipe in a larger pan during the holidays, to serve up what I'm sure will be the most popular Thanksgiving side dish! 
  • Store leftovers: This will stay good in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
  • For reheating: You can warm it back up in the pan with a drizzle of olive oil or in the microwave.
  • Enjoy leftovers as a side dish for lunch and dinner. But my favorite is enjoying this for breakfast with a fried egg or poached egg on top, or mixed into scrambled eggs!

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1026IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg