Sep 19, 2011

Pasta with Baby Peas


Here is another real traditional Italian pasta dish, made with mini pasta and baby peas, known as Pasta Piselli !   It is very flavorful, easy to make, and delicious! YUM! 

The pasta is cooked  directly with peas flavored with onions. It's an all in one dish! Quick to whip up!  This is definitely one way to get your kids to eat peas!  It's always a favorite with everyone in our house. 

When we were kids, my mother would often make pasta with various vegetables, because quite frankly, as kids we really didn't like veggies...But, now we do!!  Its fun for the family to use any mini or small pastas like elbows or even broken spaghetti with this recipe.

Also, try our other recipes for pastas with veggies! And, for a healthier twist... use multi grain, whole grain and gluten free pastas.  Enjoy!

Here's a great Tip:  I like to make 2 packages,( 2 lbs) of sweet baby peas as a side dish one night. Then I whip up this pasta piselli dish with the remaining peas leftover the very next day!! It's a quick and easy one step dish for those busy nights! 


 Pasta with Baby Peas

1 lb. of Ditalinin Pasta - ( Barilla or DeCicco)
1 lb. frozen Sweet Baby Peas -rinsed
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion - finely chopped
1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
1 handful of fresh Italian parsley - finely chopped
1 tsp. of salt
4 cups of water , then an additional 1/4 cup for later
fresh ground pepper to taste
Parmesan grated cheese -optional

In a 4 quart sauce pot (which is a medium size sauce pot).
On medium heat.  Saute` the onions with the olive oil for about 10 minutes. 
Add the Baby Peas.
Stir for a minute or so to flavor the peas. 
Add the 4 cups of water. Cover.
Bring to boil.  Simmer for 25 minutes.

Add the Ditalini pasta.  Raise the heat to medium -high. 
Uncovered,  cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes, until al dente.
Stir often.  As the water is absorbed, taste the pasta for salt .

If you need to add more water,  then add another 1/4  cup of water to cook the pasta.
Serve immediately.  ....Bon Appetit!
Optional:  Serve with Parmesan grated cheese on top.

Serves 4-6

3 comments:

  1. You have to simmer the peas for 40 minutes? That seems like a lot of time.... Was that a typo?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do this sometimes for my son and he loves it!~ So delicious- love the pasta shape you chose!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Denise for pointing that out, and yes it was a typo, its 25 minutes.

    Thanks Jessica! Even broken spaghetti and elbows work nicely!

    ReplyDelete

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