Pea and Asparagus Pasta

This Pea and Asparagus Pasta is a must for spring dinners. With peas, fresh asparagus, herbs, lemon and parmesan cheese, it's a seasonal, healthy and vegetarian recipe.

Recipe by Alexandra Caspero on March 28, 2025

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT30M

Rating

5 stars (1 reviews)

Keywords

pea and asparagus pasta

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus (woody ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
12 ounces orecchiette pasta1
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup frozen peas
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley2

Cuisine

American
Italian Inspired

Steps

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus: add the asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes until just bright green in color. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, quickly remove the asparagus and place them immediately in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
To the same pot of water, add the pasta and cook until just al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta water.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add in the blanched asparagus, peas, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes. The peas should be bright green and just beginning to soften.
Add in 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the skillet and simmer until reduced by half and a sauce begins to form, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, lemon juice, zest, and an additional 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water to the sauce. Toss continuously until the noodles are coated with the sauce, adding a little more reserved pasta water if it's too dry.
Remove from heat and add in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese; toss quickly so the cheese doesn't clump, then add in another 1/4 cup and toss again rapidly, then continue with the rest of the cheese until desired taste and consistency is reached-- I usually do 3/4 cup, but you can add more!
Stir in chopped parsley, then taste, adding more salt/pepper as desired and serve.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 568 kcal
Carbohydrates: 76 g
Protein: 21 g
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 16 mg
Sodium: 631 mg
Sugar: 6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 13 g

Reviews

Lisa on 2025-04-01 (5 stars):
Tried this for dinner, loving this recipe so far.