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This Pasta and Peas recipe is a light, but filling weeknight meal all made in one pot for easy clean up. Ready in only 15 minutes, pasta is tossed in a creamy parmesan sauce with peas and fresh lemon to give it a bright, spring flavor.
For more meatless pasta dishes, try my Baked Feta Pasta and Garlic Butter Pasta recipes!
Why I Love This Recipe
- 15-Minute Meal – I love that this Pasta and Peas recipe is ready SUPER fast! It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- One Pot Pasta – The pasta cooks right in the same pot with the other ingredients. No need to boil water or clean a second pot.
- Spring Flavors – The combination of peas and lemon zest, gives this recipe fresh, and springy flavors.
What you need
Ingredients
- Ditalini Pasta – Any small pasta would work in this recipe, like small shells or farfalle, but ditalini is preferred because of its shape and ability to hold onto the sauce.
- Butter – You can swap in olive oil as well.
- Shallots – You can find shallots near the onions in the grocery store, but if you can’t find them then you can swap in a small white onion.
- Minced Garlic – Freshly minced garlic has the best flavor, but you can also use pre-minced garlic in a pinch.
- Chicken Broth – You can also swap in vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Cooking the pasta in broth, instead of water, adds so much flavor and helps form the sauce.
- Frozen Sweet Peas – This dish is amazing with frozen and thawed sweet peas, but if you are lucky enough to get your hands on fresh shelled peas, this is the perfect dish to use them in. Do not use canned peas in this dish.
- Lemon Zest – The fresh lemon zest gives this dish a nice bright flavor that compliments the peas. You could leave it out, but the flavor will be flatter.
- Parmesan Cheese – You’ll use a good amount of cheese to make the sauce, but save some to sprinkle on top of the pasta before serving.
- Fresh Basil – I love sprinkling on some fresh basil before serving, but you can also use fresh parsley or even omit it.
How To Make This Pasta and Peas Recipe
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Ready in only 15 minutes and only using one pot, this recipe doesn’t get much easier.
Cook Shallots and Garlic – In a large, heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter, then cook the shallots until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant.
Cook Pasta and Peas – Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in the ditalini and let boil for 6 minutes. Stir in the peas and continue to boil for another 1-2 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is al dente. If the pasta starts to run too dry before it is done, add a splash more broth. You want some liquid to remain for the sauce.
Finish Pasta – Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and the parmesan cheese until fully incorporated. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken then serve with extra cheese and fresh basil on top.
Recipe Tips
- Add a Protein – To bulk up the dish, try adding shredded chicken at the end, like this slow cooker shredded chicken or Instant Pot shredded chicken.
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – It’s best to use freshly shredded parmesan cheese as it incorporates in the sauce better. Pre-shredded cheese can be drier and doesn’t have the same flavor and texture as fresh.
- Thaw Peas First – If you’re using frozen peas, make sure to thaw them first. If you add them to the sauce while still frozen, then they can water down the sauce. To quickly thaw peas, just run them under cold water in a sieve.
Serving Suggestions
I love that this recipe is a meal on its own, but you can also add a salad (like this arugula salad or a simple caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella) and garlic bread.
Storage Tips
Storage
This dish is best eaten when fresh, as the sauce is light and will be absorbed by the pasta as it cools and sets, making it too dry to reheat in good quality.
More Pasta Recipes
Pasta and Peas
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Ditalini pasta
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 Shallots diced
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 3 ½ cups Chicken broth
- 2 cups Frozen sweet peas thawed
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 2/3 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and golden, stirrring frequently; about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the ditalini and boil for 6 minutes. Stir in the peas and continue to boil for another 1-2 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is al dente. If the pasta starts to run too dry before it is done, add a splash more broth. You want some liquid to remain for the sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and the parmesan cheese until fully incorporated. Let sit for 3 minutes, then serve with the extra parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil sprinkled over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
