When you need an easy, delicious, simple dinner, this spring pea lemon pasta is the perfect recipe. It takes minutes to make and is guaranteed to impress.
There is no easier or quicker dinner than this delicious, light and lemony Spring pea pasta. When dinner comes together in less than 20 minutes, I am always happy but if I get to sit down to a bowl of luscious pasta afterwards? Yep, the happiness levels reach new heights then.
I make this pasta ALL. THE. TIME. It is the speediest thing to throw together when my kids are hungry and I have zero energy to be in the kitchen plus it consists of all the staples I have in my pantry and fridge all the time.
Frozen peas are a must-have and because they are picked and frozen at their peak, are often so much better than fresh peas. They also cook in minutes to the sauce comes together very quickly. By the time the pasta is cooked, the sauce will be done and just like that, it’s dinner time!
How to make lemon pea pasta
Sauté a finely minced onion and garlic until soft and translucent then add frozen peas and lemon zest. Pour in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer until it reduces a little then add lemon juice. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking water and stir to coat the pasta in the creamy sauce. Serve immediately.
How long to cook pasta
Pasta should always be cooked a few minutes less than what it says on the packaging. I usually cook it for 2 minutes less but the best way to know when pasta is cooked is to taste it. When pasta is perfectly cooked it is called “Al Dente” which is Italian for “to the tooth”. What this means is that the pasta is firm but cooked. You don’t want the past to by soft and mushy but it shouldn’t have any crunch. Always remove pasta from the cooking water a minute or two before it is cooked as it will continue to cook in the residual heat of the sauce you put it in.
Should you rinse cooked pasta?
Never rinse cooked pasta. The starchiness will emulsify with the sauce and help the sauce stick to the pasta better. Always reserve a cup or two of the pasta’s cooking water. The starch in the water helps to bring the sauce and pasta together and can quickly and easily emulsify and thicken the pasta sauce.
Love easy pasta recipes? Try these:
Easy lemony spring pea pasta
Ingredients
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups frozen peas
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 500 g (approx 1lb) pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil until soft and translucent then add the peas and lemon zest.
- Pour in the cream and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon easily. Add lemon juice (start by adding half first as lemons can vary and you don't want the sauce to be too acidic) and season to taste.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water, and add the pasta to the sauce with the Parmesan.
- Pour in some of the reserved cooking water and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add more cooking water if necessary. You want the pasta to be creamy and glossy.
- Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese and lemon for squeezing.
Nutrition
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This was delicious, but the cheese turned my peas into big sticky clumps instead if having them nicely distributed throughout the pasta like your picture. I’d make it again anyway because it tasted so good, but any ideas?
It could be that the heat caused the cheese to clump instead of melt into the sauce. I also try to grate my Parmesan as finely as possible (with a micro plain) to allow it to melt into the sauce quickly.
Hi Alida, are the leftovers good cold?
Yes, it will be delicious cold. 🙂
I added more Garlic and parmesan as well as a few of my favorite seasonings to give it more flavor & next time I won’t use Orzo but what I had on hand, made too much lol
Tried this and it was very good. So simple and easy to make and a nice recipe for busy days.
Great to hear! 🙂