Pasta with Smashed Peas and Ricotta is an easy dish to put together when you need a quick and tasty meal. You’ll love the green peas and the smooth and creamy ricotta cheese together in this delightful and simple pasta dish.
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I originally posted this pasta recipe in 2011. It’s one I found in Real Simple magazine. I wanted to revamp it since my old photos were horrible, and since it’s a delightful pasta dish worth making any time.
If you love pasta, you’ll enjoy my Homemade Pasta (Without a Machine) with Vodka Sauce for a true pasta treat!
When I first made Pasta with Smashed Peas and Ricotta, my mom was visiting. There are many states between us and never enough visits. Not only do I miss her, but I miss her cooking.
The recipe is as easy as they come. You likely have a bag of peas in the freezer and pasta in the cupboard, right? The only other things you’ll need are ricotta cheese and a lemon.
The peas and lemon give this dish a fresh, springtime taste and the amount of ricotta cheese was just enough to keep it from turning into a heavy, why-did-I-eat-that, creamy dish.
After years of trekking to the desert to see me, one thing I can count on is that when my mom visits she’ll make a few of my favorite dishes that I grew up eating. You know — the ones that simmer for a long while with tantalizing aromas.
These are the meals I crave and no matter how many times I try to duplicate them, they don’t come within reach of tasting like hers.
Creamy Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms is another great pasta dish that is super hearty. You’ll love the flavor from the roasted cauliflower!
Looking for a low-carb dish that you can still twirl up on a fork like traditional pasta? You’ll want to make my Low-Carb Zoodles with Romesco Sauce for a dish that’s big on flavor!
One typically sunny day during my mom’s visit, we spent several hours hiking and shopping (two of her favorite things to do in Phoenix). By the end of the day, we were interested in a quick-prep dinner at home.
I had found an easy recipe in Real Simple, “Pasta with Smashed Peas,” and thought it would be a good choice to pair with our hunger and impatience.
This is a great dish to serve when you need to put together a quick meal. We were hungry and didn’t want to wait for a slow-cooked dinner. Pasta with Smashed Peas and Ricotta was a wonderful go-to.
Once the ricotta is tossed together with the pasta and peas, it turns into a lovely and light creamy pasta dish. Even though this meal didn’t require extended time to simmer or bake, it was perfect — light yet filling. We used the extra time after dinner to relax and visit.
Keep Pasta with Smashed Peas and Ricotta on your “to make” list for those times when you need something flavorful and simple. You’ll love it!
Calories
Fat
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Protein
Patricia Conte/Grab a Plate
Serves Serves 6-8
Save Recipe5 based on 7 review(s)
Ingredients
- 1 pound your favorite pasta (I used wide, pappardelle pasta)
- 1, 16-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoons coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and zest from half a lemon
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- As the pasta cooks, add the peas to a food processor or blender and pulse for a bit, but don’t puree them. Remove and transfer to a bowl. Add ½ cup of the ricotta, the salt and pepper, and the lemon juice and zest to the peas, and mix with a spatula to combine.
- Reserve about 1/2 cup of the water from cooking the pasta and drain the rest. Add the pasta back to the pan and add the peas mixture. A little at a time, add the pasta water to the mixture, stirring to combine.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a serving platter. Dollop the remaining ricotta cheese around the pasta and drizzle the olive oil over the top along with a bit of black pepper.
- Serve in individual bowls. Toss to combine so the ricotta mixes with the pasta and peas mixture and turns creamy.
Notes
This recipe is from Real Simple magazine and I adapted it just slightly.
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