Creamy Pea Pasta

Sometimes the simplest recipes turn out to be the most delicious and comforting. This Creamy Pea Pasta is incredibly easy to prepare, and you’ll need just a few ingredients—I’m sure you already have them in your pantry. While this pasta recipe may be basic, it’s definitely a must-add to your weekly menu, especially if you’re looking for a family and kid-friendly meal.

I love legumes, they’re so nutritious and versatile in vegetarian cuisine. In this Creamy Pea Pasta, this plant-based protein source provides a feeling of fullness and adds an irresistible delicate flavor, along with a vibrant green color. Incorporating legumes into a pasta dish is a great way to load up on essential nutrients, creating a wholesome one bowl meal. Additionally, this healthy vegetarian pasta is excellent for those who struggle to consume enough protein.

Pasta with peas has roots in Italian cuisine, especially in the southern region of Campania, where the legumes are not blended. In the Naples area, the tradition calls for short pasta to be cooked in the same pot with the peas and broth. In this regard, people often substitute green peas with other legumes, such as chickpeas or beans, to create delicious pasta dishes. However, for this Creamy Pea Pasta, the peas are essential because their slightly sweet taste perfectly complements the cream cheese.

This Creamy Pea Pasta recipe is vegetarian, but with just a few adjustments, you can make it plant-based. To do this, you can replace the Philadelphia cheese with a vegan spreadable cheese, and for the final sprinkle of Parmesan, a common substitute is nutritional yeast. Additionally, this creamy sauce pairs well with other bases such as rice or grains.

Ingredients for pasta with peas

• Green peas: I use canned peas to save time, but frozen ones work just as well. Green peas have a natural sweetness that pairs perfectly with shallots and cheeses. When blended, this legume helps create a velvety, light sauce for the pasta while also adding a vibrant green color. Finally, green peas are an excellent source of plant-based protein, rich in fiber and essential vitamins, such as C and K.

• Shallot: sautéed chopped shallots in olive oil have a delicate onion flavor that creates the perfect aromatic base for the rich Creamy Pea Pasta. Their soft texture helps achieve a smooth and cohesive consistency when blended with the green peas and cheese. Finally, if you don’t have shallots, you can easily substitute them with onion.

• Philadelphia cheese: this cheese is the main ingredient for the rich, smooth sauce that coats the pasta. It has a slightly tangy taste that complements the shallots and green peas. Moreover, Philadelphia cheese helps bind the sauce together, and its mild flavor enhances the other components wihtout overpowering them.

• Lemon juice: the acidity of lemon cuts through the richness of the creamy sauce, providing a fresh note to the Creamy Pea Pasta and preventing the dish from feeling too heavy. Lemon juice has a citrusy flavor that brings out the sweetness of the peas and complements the other savory ingredients, such as shallots and cheese.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to create this creamy vegetarian pasta

Add the chopped shallot to a hot saucepan with olive oil and when soft incorporate the green peas. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until soft.

Put the peas in a blender, keeping some for the topping, along with the Philadelphia cheese and lemon juice. Blend to achieve a creamy sauce.

In the meantime cook the pasta into salted boiling water and put the creamy sauce in the saucepan along with a ladle of cooking water and on low heat.

Combine the sauce with the cooked pasta. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan and some green peas.

My tips for a green pasta dish

• Keep some of the green peas for the final topping. This will add crunch and a pleasant texture to the pasta.

• Philadelphia cheese can be replaced with ricotta or other smooth cheeses that blend easily with the legumes.

• Adjust the amount of pasta cooking water you add to the pan with the sauce based on how you want the consistency—more or less liquid. In any case, don’t worry if it seems too runny at first when you mix the pasta into the pan with the cream, because the heat from the pan will thicken it.

Did you try this recipe? Don’t forget to share it with me tagging @nutritiouslysofia on Instagram!

Creamy Pea Pasta

Course: MainCuisine: vegetarian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• Green peas 500gr + some on top

• Shallot 1

• Olive oil

• Pasta 200gr

• Philadelphia cheese 150gr

• Parmesan (to sprinkle on top)

• Lemon juice 1/2 tsp

• Salt

• Pepper

Directions

• Add the chopped shallot to a hot saucepan with olive oil and when soft incorporate the green peas. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until soft.
• Put the peas in a blender, keeping some for the topping, along with the Philadelphia cheese and lemon juice. Blend to achieve a creamy sauce.
• In the meantime cook the pasta into salted boiling water and put the sauce in the saucepan along with a ladle of cooking water and on low heat.
• Combine the sauce with the cooked pasta. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan and some green peas.

Notes

• Keep some of the green peas for the final topping. This will add crunch and a pleasant texture to the pasta.
• Philadelphia cheese can be replaced with ricotta or other smooth cheeses that blend easily with the legumes.
• Adjust the amount of pasta cooking water you add to the pan with the sauce based on how you want the consistency—more or less liquid. In any case, don’t worry if it seems too runny at first when you mix the pasta into the pan with the cream, because the heat from the pan will thicken it.