Pasta with Peas
Pasta with peas is an easy 20-minute meal with pesto pasta and veggies, perfect for busy weeknights. Enjoy it warm or chilled.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 478kcal
Equipment
- large saucepan (for pasta)
- colander
- large serving bowl
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta or rigatoni, bowtie, or other small pasta
- 2 cups frozen peas
- ½ cup pesto sauce
Optional add ins
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- ¼ cup sautéed mushrooms see recipe notes below for variations
- ¼ cup diced pancetta
- ¼ cup Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than al dente (check the time on the box as different brands will have different cook times and subtract one minute from cooking time).
- Add the peas and cook for an additional minute, or just until al dente.
- Remove 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and peas.
- Add the pesto and ¼ cup of pasta water to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the pasta and peas to the bowl and toss to combine. If the pasta is too dry, add an additional ¼ cup of starchy pasta water. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Garnish with toasted pine nuts or any additional add ins. This pasta can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- If you can’t find toasted pine nuts in the grocery store, you can toast raw nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or just until fragrant.
- We are using rotini pasta, but you could use any shape, like bowtie or cellentani – we recommend dried pasta, not fresh pasta.
- Frozen peas are a great shortcut for when fresh peas aren’t in season, if you have access to fresh peas, use those instead!
- No pesto, no problem! Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Red sauce- swap the pesto for marinara sauce.
- Pasta and peas with bacon- omit the pesto, stir in a bit of olive oil, parmesan and bacon.
- Pasta with pancetta and peas- add in pancetta and parmesan (to taste) and ½ of a juiced lemon
- Mushrooms and peas pasta- add mushrooms and create a sauce by sautéing mushrooms in butter, adding garlic, and one tablespoon of flour, deglaze with white wine and add broth to your desired thickness.
- Pasta with sausage and peas- use recipe as directed but in the end add in your favorite (cooked and sliced) sausage.
- Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To keep it fresh, toss it with a little olive oil before storing to prevent sticking.
- For warm leftovers, reheat in a large skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth to bring back moisture. You can also microwave it in short intervals, stirring in between to evenly warm it up.
- Because it can be made in 20 minutes, it's easy enough to make after a busy day. But it can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week, so it's super easy to have ready for lunches during the week.