Joe's Refreshing Lemon, Pea & Parsley Pasta
- May 11
- 2 min read
Updated: May 11
A quick and easy dish to toss together on a warm summer night.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
2 Bags of Frozen Peas. (About 20 oz.)
3 or 4 Lemons. For zest, slicing and juice.
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and roughly chopped.
2 Shallots. Peeled and thinly sliced.
1/2 cup of Italian Parsley Leaves. Roughly Chopped.
Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Pasta of your choice. (Here, orrechiete is featured)
INSTRUCTIONS
Start the pasta water to heating, lightly salt the water.
Zest the lemon peel into a bowl and set aside.
Slice a lemon in half width-wise. Then, cut a "plus across the lemon half about an inch deep. Place the lemon half on its side and slice down thinly. This will produce four triangles of lemon slices with each cut. These should be thick enough to stay together when sliced but thin enough that you can almost see through them. Set aside.
After prepping the rest of the fresh ingredients, cover the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil and heat to medium-high (the temp where the garlic will start to sizzle when you drop it in).
Add the garlic and shallots and dust lightly with salt. When the slightest hint of browning begins, lower the temp to medium-low. Cook slowly until garlic comes to a golden color and shallots caramelize.
ONCE THE WATER IS BOILING... Add the pasta to the water.
Then... Add the peas to the skillet and stir until the garlic/shallots browning stops. Return heat to medium or medium-high. Stir occasionally.
After about one minute, add 1/2 of the fresh parsley.
Cook until the peas are just warmed through. It's important to keep them crisp and "poppy". Don't over cook them.
Strain out the pasta when it's 1-2 minutes below the suggested cook time. (Test it first to make sure the al dente is to your liking).
Add the hot strained pasta to the skillet and toss with the peas.
Squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice into the pasta right in the pan. Add a generous amount of Pecorino Romano.
Toss more.
Plate the pasta and garnish the top of each serving with cheese, more lemon zest, the lemon triangles, some fresh parsley, and cracked pepper to taste.
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