Lunch / Dinner
Pasta & Peas
Bowls of buttered noodles probably only hit your table when you don’t have a lot of groceries or time. This recipe transforms the dish from a last resort to a first choice, grown-up version full of flavor and texture, that’s still straightforward and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
FOR THE TOPPING, TOAST:
FOR THE PASTA, COOK:
FOR THE SAUCE, MELT:
Test Kitchen Tip
To save time, start making the brown butter sauce while the pasta cooks, so all the components will be ready at nearly the same time.
Instructions
For the topping, toast bread crumbs in oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes.
For the pasta, cook orecchiette in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain over peas in a colander. Transfer pasta and peas to a bowl, then stir in Parmesan, parsley, pine nuts, and zest.
For the sauce, melt butter with salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium; cook butter until light brown, about 8 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat; stir in lemon juice.
Toss pasta and pea mixture with sauce, then divide among four plates. Top each serving with bread crumbs.
Drain the cooked pasta over the peas. The hot pasta water will cook them slightly, taking off the raw edge.
Brown butter is loaded with flavor, but adding shallots and garlic enhances its flavor even more.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 578
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 53%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Cholesterol 71mg 23%
Sodium 477mg 19%
Carbs 55g 18%
Fiber 5g 20%
Protein 15g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.