I love ricotta. It’s such a versatile cheese. From dessert to snacks to main courses, there are few things that don’t benefit from a little added creamy cheesiness. One of my all time favourite sauces is to stir ricotta with a little chopped parsley through hot pasta. This dish is more of a one bowl meal with the peas and mint adding the green factor.
The method on this is a bit fiddly because I wanted to crush the peas, but if you’d prefer to keep it simple just pop the peas in with the pasta together and skip the crushing step.
Pasta with Crushed Peas & Ricotta
Ingredients
- 150 g short pasta
- 200 g frozen peas
- 1 bunch mint leaves picked
- 100 g ricotta
- 2 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add pasta and set timer for the cooking time stated on the packet.
- When there are 3 minutes to go, add peas.
- When the timer is up, reserve some cooking water in a cup. Drain.
- Return the pan to the heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add pasta, peas and mint.
- Stir in ricotta, adding a little of the cooking water if it seems too dry.
- Taste, season and serve with parmesan.
Variations
vegan – replace ricotta and parmesan with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. You might want to double the peas to make it more substantial.
carnivore – pan fry some bacon or chorizo and toss in at the end.
gluten-free – replace drained pasta with cooked or canned beans or lentils.
paleo – replace pasta with roast cauliflower. Replace ricotta and parmsean with olive oil and extra peas.
vary herbs – peas and mint are a classic combo but basil would make a wonderful change.
loose the pasta – chop up 1/2 head cauliflower into florettes and use in place of the pasta or replace pasta with a can of drained cannellini or butter beans.
change the veg – toss through ripe halved cherry tomatoes or wilted baby spinach instead of the peas.
increase the cheese – serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
carb lovers / more substantial – serve with garlic bread or add extra pasta.
low carb – serve peas and ricotta with pan fried chicken or fish.
Problem Solving Guide
too dry? – drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
peas or pasta over/undercooked – it can be tricky to get the timing right. If you’re nervous about that boil 2 separate pots and cook the pasta and peas separately. If in doubt, make sure the pasta is cooked, the peas will be fine if they’re a little over cooked but undercooked pasta is no fun for anyone.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
short pasta – keep in the pantry.
frozen peas – keep in the freezer.
mint – best to use for another meal. leaves can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted so not ideal. Alternatively make a mint oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean dry glass jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil use mint oil to serve with lamb, chicken or fish.
ricotta – unopened ricotta in a tub usually has a shelf life of a few weeks. Can be frozen.
parmesan – will keep in a plastic bag or airtight container in the fridge for months. Can be frozen.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm as a meal on it’s own.
Pair it with a classic green salad.
Leftover Potential
OK. Gently reheat in a saucepan for a few minutes.>
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes