Creamy Spring Pea Pasta
Ingredients
- 400 g 14 oz spaghetti, linguine, or tagliatelle
- Salt for the pasta water
- Pea Sauce
- 3 cups 450g fresh or frozen peas, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- ½ cup 120ml reserved pasta water
- ½ cup 50g parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Serving
- Extra parmesan cheese
- Fresh mint or basil leaves
- Lemon zest
- A drizzle of olive oil
- Optional: crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook shallot for 2 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute.
- Add 2½ cups of peas to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes until bright green.
- Blend the cooked peas, garlic, shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, zest, herbs, half the parmesan, and half a cup of pasta water until completely smooth.
- Return sauce to the skillet over low heat. Add drained pasta and toss to coat.
- Add the remaining half cup of whole peas. Toss again.
- Add pasta water a splash at a time if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Stir in remaining parmesan. Toss one final time.
- Serve immediately with parmesan, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and olive oil
Notes
- Always reserve pasta water before draining — it is essential for the sauce
- Do not overcook the peas — three minutes keeps them bright green
- Blend the sauce for a full minute for the smoothest result
- Cook pasta to al dente only as it continues cooking in the sauce
- Season pasta water generously with salt
- Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor
- Frozen peas work just as well as fresh
- Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Reheat in a pan with a splash of water over low heat