Paglia e Fieno con Prosciutto e Piselli

The amusing name of this recipe is an old Italian country joke, as the ‘straw and hay’ refers to the attractive combination of yellow and green noodles. Home-made pasta turns this into a gourmet treat. The rich and delicious sauce is very quick to make but this must be done at the last minute. I always serve this as a first course, and usually follow it with a simple fish dish. If you want to prepare it in advance use the variation which follows.