Creamy Pasta and Peas
- Very easy
- 25 min
Pasta with cream and peas is, honestly, one of those dishes that really captures the cozy, home-cooked vibe you'd find all over Italy. Simplicity is key here. You get a bowl of creamy, tender pasta that feels both easy and a little special. Pretty simple, right? Italians often use pasta corta, like penne or fusilli—really good stuff—which perfectly holds onto the sauce, giving you a tasty bite every time.
What sets this dish apart from other quick pasta recipes is the fresh liquid cream. Italians prefer panna fresca over regular cooking cream. Seriously, it makes a delicate, extra-rich sauce that wraps around the pasta and peas—making every bite super moist and satisfying. You know, whether you use fresh peas in spring or frozen ones, they keep their sweet flavor and slight bite, adding to the dish's charm. Which is great.
In Italian kitchens, creamy pasta with peas is a go-to, family-friendly meal because it's quick yet really, really comforting. Some folks throw in diced prosciutto or pancetta for a savory twist, but the classic pasta with peas recipe stays beautifully simple. Just a creamy sauce, soft peas, and pasta soaking up all that deliciousness. Cannot go wrong.
The secret? It's in those small touches like using fresh cream and letting the sauce reach the perfect level of creaminess without overdoing it. To be honest, it’s the kind of dish you can whip up for a weeknight dinner that still tastes like it came straight from a family table in Italy. People often finish it with a sprinkle of black pepper or parmesan, tying everything together perfectly.
Among all the easy pasta recipes, pasta with cream and peas stands out for being incredibly fast and always a crowd-pleaser, making it a true staple in traditional Italian cuisine. Whether you're in the heart of Rome or your own kitchen, this dish brings a touch of Italy to every meal, capturing the heart of Italian home cooking with every delicious forkful. For sure.
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To prepare the pasta with cream and peas, first shell the peas: you'll need about 340 g 1 — approximately 12 oz (about 2 1/8 cups). Cook the peas in salted boiling water for 10 minutes 2. In the meantime, finely slice the onion 3.
Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the onion 4 and sauté over medium-low heat for about 6 minutes 5. Drain the peas, reserving the cooking water, and add them to the skillet 6. Season with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, adding a little hot water if needed 7. Meanwhile, boil the pappardelle in the same water used for the peas 8. After the 5 minutes, pour the cream into the skillet with the peas 9 and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta and transfer it to the skillet 10, then mix well. Turn off the heat and finish by stirring in grated Parmigiano Reggiano 11 and a teaspoon of oil 12.
Gently combine everything 13. Plate immediately and top with thyme 14 and more grated cheese if desired. Your cream-and-peas pasta is ready to be served 15!