Pasta and Peas

Pasta with creamy green peas sauce on a white plate.

5 from 4 votes

This 7-ingredient Easy Pasta and Peas recipe is packed with plant-based protein and takes 15 minutes to make. The pea pasta sauce is healthy, budget-friendly, and delicious.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 434kcal

Author: Nisha Melvani

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta
Generous drizzle of olive oil
3 large shallots thinly sliced
7 large cloves garlic sliced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
3 cups sweet green peas frozen or fresh
1 large lemon zest and juice, plus more as needed
½ cup fresh mint leaves optional
½ tablespoon mellow miso
¼ cup hemp seeds or tahini or almond butter
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet until al dente. Reserve ¾ cup cooking water when draining.
Cook aromatics: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook for about 4 minutes, or until golden.
Cook the peas: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peas. Cook for about 3 minutes more or until the peas are heated through. (If using fresh peas, reduce the heat to low, add one tablespoon water, and cover to steam for 3 minutes or until tender.)
Blend the sauce: Transfer about three quarters of the pea mixture to a blender. Add 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, mint, miso, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and 1 cup water. Blend until smooth.
Combine: Return the sauce to the saucepan with the remaining peas and add the pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually add some of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed until the desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. Garnish with lemon zest for serving.

Notes

For fresh green peas, add one tablespoon water with the peas and cover the skillet. Steam for about 3 minutes, or until just tender.

If you are substituting hemp seeds with almond butter or tahini, you may need to add more water for blending.

Storage: Add the amount of sauce required for serving, and refrigerate any remaining pea pasta sauce in a separate airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition