How to Make Pasta and Peas: What Italians ACTUALLY Eat at Home
This is the one dish that Italians actually eat at home. You won’t find this on a restaurant menu; this is the quick weeknight dinner. It is the heart of the Mediterranean diet, using simple ingredients to feed the whole family on a budget, but not intentionally to save money. It’s enjoyable because it’s wholesome, it’s fresh, and it tastes like home.
If you’ve been looking for easy one-pot pasta recipes that are healthy and delicious, this is the video for you. Growing up it was just a simple pasta and peas recipe with a sprinkle of cheese. But today, I’m showing you how to make a creamy pasta e piselli that is much better than the original!
This dish proves you don’t need expensive ingredients to make authentic Italian food. This vegetarian pasta dish is ready in under 20 minutes, making it one of the best healthy meals for busy families.
Ingredients:
1 lb Ditalini pasta
1 lb Frozen peas
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups Pecorino Romano, grated
4 cups Water (plus more if needed)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
1. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until soft.
2. Add the frozen peas, salt, pepper, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove half of the peas and blend until smooth. Pour it back in! This is the secret to how to cook peas so they become a rich sauce.
4. Add your Ditalini and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
5. Turn off the heat. Stir in the Pecorino Romano until it creates a thick, cheesy sauce.
⭐ Video Chapters
0:00 What Italians Actually Eat at Home
0:29 Start with a Base of Onions
0:43 Everyone has Frozen Peas in the Freezer
1:30 The Creamy Secret
2:29 One-Pot Cooking
4:12 The Cheese Finish
4:50 Preview of Cream in the Pan
5:07 Plating
5:48 Giovanni
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✅ Authentic Italian Comfort: This isn’t restaurant food; it’s the real-life soul food of Italy.
✅ True Mediterranean Diet: A perfect balance of plant-based protein and carbs that keeps you full and healthy.
✅ Zero-Stress Cooking: One pot, minimal ingredients, and only 20 minutes from start to finish.
Comment Below:
I actually wasn’t crazy about this as a kid, but now I absolutely love it! What about you? Was there a meal you hated growing up that you love now?
Let me know in the comments! 👇🫛🍝
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🍳Tools Used in this Video (links may earn commission).
Pots & Pans: https://rstr.co/caraway/43648 (10% off Code: UNPEZZODITALIA10)
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Immersion Hand Blender: https://amzn.to/4pP8xEX
#pasta #peas #italianfood
20 Comments
Both peas and pasta are high in sugars.
WOW! I've had one of these in my cabinet for years and never used it. Until yesterday to cream my mirepoix chicken broth for chicken and dumplings dinner.
Now I have another reason to use it soon.
Giovanni — You promise, you deliver! Thanks!!! I make peas and pasta all the time, especially during Lent. My Friday go to dish! I've never made it this way but will do so the next time. My mother made hers with a can of peas (and the juice) and some red sauce. So, a more or less watered down sauce with some garlic and spices. To me, its simple yet very tasty. I like the method you use and can't wait to try it. If you're like me – I like a little pasta with my cheese! :>) My mother always said it's the cheese that makes your meatballs, cutlets, etc. Logatelli is what I use for everything.
Thanks so much for this. Keep these coming and when the cookbook is one day done, please let us know!!! David
Thanks! I'll try this for friends next week.
What about cooking the pasta first separately? Make it less starchy
Thus looks delicious! I will definitely try your recipe soon.
how about (boiling) chicken stock instead of water?
I actually do have everything to make this dish! I have risotto for the pasta and I'm thinking lemon and capers might be good additions. This is exactly how I like to eat! Looking forward to your cookbook! Thank you 😊
WHAT NO GARLIC !!!
How do people survive without a kettle! 😳
You can probably make this vegan by subbing the pecorino with nooch. Or go the other way and add some crispy bacon!
I have always loved this dish but your technique brings it up to a higher level. Your recipes are so clearly explained and delicious! Thank you for sharing this.
Mom used to add tomato sauce. No blender required.
Can you freeze the leftovers without it being gummy?
Thank you for this. Having our grandparents live with us while they were still here, we had either this or pasta fagioli with some type of bean every Friday. We didn’t have nearly as much wealth as today, but the memories were worth more than gold
This looks delicious and I love the color and added protein from the peas. My grandchildren are very young but they love peas and pasta, I'll make this with them so they can see how to make a pea sauce 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
wonderful… Can't wait to make that 🙂
Looks delicious. I think I will add chili flakes and cayenne or something spicy as well as some cubed ham.
We must have grown up in the same household. This is one of my absolute fave dish to make and I make it often. Good for next day and day after too. Tks for showing what we peasants really eat at home.
Good. It's better with Parmesan because Pecorino has too strong a flavor for the delicate flavor of the peas