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A store cupboard saviour that is on the table in under twenty minutes? It’s a Spring miracle! Bright and delightful, pasta e piselli (or pasta with peas) is a sweetly satisfying meal that will come to the rescue whenever your supplies are running low.
Not feeling the joys of Spring but need a quick pasta fix? Earthy and comforting mushroom pasta can come together in the same time with just as reliably available ingredients.
Pasta with peas and bacon
There are so many reasons why I LOVE this pasta and peas recipe, besides it being super tasty.
- It’s light and low calorie but provides all the nutrition you need in one meal.
- It’s ridiculously budget friendly.
- So convenient! All the ingredients are most likely ready and waiting in the kitchen. Except perhaps bacon, but that can be easily omitted if you prefer.
- Kids will definitely eat it. (Even though mine aren’t kids anymore *crying face*!)
- It’s full of promise. To me, vivid peas and vibrant mint indicate warmer months and the onset of summer.
Recipe Tip
- The authentic pasta e piselli recipe is only 5 ingredients: pasta, cooking water, butter, green peas and This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese. Sometimes satisfying and simple just hits the spot.
- Now this could be my North American conditioning, or even British, but I couldn’t help adding some form of bacon to my recipe. You can use your usual bacon, or in keeping with the theme, Italian pancetta. The meat-eaters in my household appreciate the bonus protein and I love the extra slick and saltiness it brings.
- Leave the bacon out, and use This is an affiliate link.vegetable stock, for a vegetarian pasta and peas version.
- I’ve also snuck in some leeks and fresh herbs. You know me! I cannot leave herbs on the sideline! I’ve used fresh basil and mint. The mint just catapults this dish from Winter warmer to Spring saviour.
- The pasta would usually just be cooked in water, but I find using stock is a quick flavour hack that leaves the dish perfectly seasoned.
- Little ditali or ditalini are the classic pasta shape for pasta e piselli, but you can use any small-shaped pasta. I also favour conchigliette, the smallest of the shell-shaped pasta family.
- Freshly grated Parmesan is a must! The pre-grated kind will leave you with an unpleasantly clumpy sauce.
- The dish may look a little soupy at first- don’t panic, be patient. Give the pasta a bit of time to absorb the stock and it will be spot-on tender and the sauce just the right consistency.
- Don’t forget to serve with another scoop of Parmesan cheese.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally in Italy, pasta is the primo or first course, and followed by a meaty main like pork osso buco, Italian beef stew or Italian rosemary chicken stew, or even fish like Tuscan salmon.
However, when a dish is this simple, why complicate things? I’m serving an equally simple garlic bread and leaving it at that! Imagine what you can do with all that extra time…
Storage and leftovers
I never save and store leftover pasta, it goes too claggy and sticky! But these teeny weeny ditalini with peas can be reinvented as a cool pasta salad with a dressing to die for; see my Green Goddess pasta salad for the recipe.
The original dish will keep for up to 2 days in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container in the fridge.
When ready for round two, stir some extra virgin olive oil through the cold pasta and throw in a handful of typical salad vegetables. Use this pasta salad recipe for a bit of inspo or just chop some cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green (spring) onion and more fresh herbs. Obvs!
More pasta dishes to try
- Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Tagliatelle with Pancetta, basil and Mozzarella
- Creamy Orzo Pasta Primavera
Pasta e Piselli
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 200g / 8 oz pancetta, or bacon
- 1 leek or 3 green onions (spring onions), white parts only, sliced
- 250g / 8 oz ditali or ditalini pasta
- 750ml / 3 cups hot chicken stock
- 270g / 2 cups frozen green peas
- 50g / 1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese, or Pecorino Romano
- salt to taste
- 2-3 fresh mint leaves, sliced (optional
- 2-3 basil leaves, sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large and deep pan and add the diced pancetta or bacon and cook until most of the fat is rendered, add the sliced leek and saute over low heat for 5 minutes. Then add the pasta and hot stock, bring to a boil and cook for 6 minutes, stirring once in a while to ensure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom.
- Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes longer. Then stir in the grated cheese and the fresh herbs, season with salt to taste.
- Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very tasty and so easy to make. I will definitely make it again
I am so glad you enjoyed it!!