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Pasta with peas and asparagus is a delicious and healthy dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. It’s easy to make and full of flavor, making it a great option for those who are looking for a satisfying meal that’s also packed with nutrients. This very easy pasta recipe has a few simple ingredients like fresh peas, fresh garlic, lemon juice. There is some heat from red pepper flakes and tender crisp asparagus. This delicious pasta dish is something that the whole family will love. Keep this meal in your back pocket for those busy weeknights when you are short on time but wanting to make a healthy dinner.
oh the pasta-bilities
When I make this perfect weeknight meal, like to use farfalle pasta but the pastabilities 🙂 are endless. Any kind of pasta you like will go great with the creamy sauce. You can use orecchiette pasta, short pasta, small pasta, whole wheat pasta even leftover pasta will do. You start by sautéing some good extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat, next you’ll toss in the shallot and garlic and give that a good stir. Next throw in a little bit of red pepper flakes for a nice kick of heat.
whats next…
Meanwhile have a large pot of salted water coming up to a boil to cook your pasta. Once you cook your pasta al dente you’ll spoon in the cooked pasta and about a 1/2 cup to a cup of pasta cooking water. The pasta water creates a really luscious buttery sauce without adding any butter. Next you’ll add in sweet peas, pecorino romano cheese or parmesan and the best part, ricotta. Be sure to reserve an additional cup of pasta water so that you can add more as needed.
The mixture of the cheese and pasta water is what creates the creamy pasta and the best flavor. I like to hit mine with the juice of 1/2 a lemon at the end and some lemon zest is a great addition too. It gives it an extra punch in the best way!
why you should make this…
There are so many factors that make this pasta dish an all star. It makes for a truly delicious meal any night of the week, the cooking time is short, 20-30 minutes, it’s pretty much a one-pot pasta dish, it’s a budget-friendly meal and it can be served as the main course of course, but also would make a great side with a piece of grilled chicken as the main. Simple pasta recipes in my opinion make for the most delicious recipe and this proves that!
best and easy creamy Italian pasta with peas recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Pasta with peas and asparagus is a delicious and healthy dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. It’s easy to make and full of flavor, making it a great option for those who are looking for a satisfying meal that’s also packed with nutrients.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of pasta (your choice of shape)
- 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 tbsp ricotta
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Begin by cooking your pasta according to the package directions until it’s al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot, minced garlic, white wine, red pepper flake, salt and pepper and sauté for a minute or two until fragrant. Add the asparagus pieces to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.
- Next, add the pasta and 1/2 cup of pasta water to the garlic mixture add peas and asparagus to the skillet and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they’re heated through. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- When the veggies are heated through add in the ricotta and grated Parmesan cheese. Toss everything together well, adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen up the sauce and make everything come together. Top with the juice of half of a lemon
- Serve your pasta with peas and asparagus hot, garnished with some additional Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like basil or parsley if desired.
Notes
This dish is a perfect way to get your daily serving of veggies and it’s also great for leftovers, making it a versatile and easy meal to have on hand throughout the week
Equipment
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: one pan
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Keywords: easy pasta dish, one pan dinner, simple pasta recipe, perfect weeknight meal,
