How To Make Lemony Green Pasta with Peas & Ricotta
Showcasing the colors of spring in a lemony green pasta dish made with peas and kale. Served best with a dash of tangy lemon juice and some Parmesan.
Serves:
Ingredients
- fine sea salt
- 8ozkale,preferably Tuscan/lacinato but any variety works
- ¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
- 2large garlic cloves,smashed and peeled
- 1medium lemon,zest juice, preferably organic
- ¼tspred pepper flakes,reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
- freshly ground black pepper,to taste
- ½lbrigatoni,or pappardelle or pasta of choice
- 8ozpeas,2 cups, fresh or frozen
- 2ozParmesan cheese,¾ cup, coarsely grated
- ½cupricotta cheese,or more, for garnish
Instructions
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Bring a large pot (5-quart capacity or greater) of heavily salted water to boil. Meanwhile, prepare your kale by slicing or stripping the leaves from the stems; save them.
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Discard the rough bottom of the stems, then slice the stems into pieces about ¼-inch wide. Place the stem pieces in a fine-mesh sieve.
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When the water is boiling, place the sieve in the water, resting the lip against the top of the pot. Cook the stems for 3 minutes, then remove the sieve and add all of the kale leaves to the pot.
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Put the sieve back in the water on top of the leaves and cook for 5 minutes. Do not drain the water.
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Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle, then reduce the heat to low.
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Cook gently, lightly shimmying the pan and turning the garlic every now and then for about 5 minutes, until the garlic is softened and turning lightly golden. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the contents into a stand blender.
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Add the cooked kale stems to the blender when the time’s up. Use tongs to transfer the kale leaves over to the blender.
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Add most of the zest from the lemon, and 1 tablespoon of the juice. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt, the red pepper flakes (if using), plus about 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper.
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Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and silky, adding more spoonfuls of water if necessary to gain traction. Taste and add more salt, pepper or pepper flakes, and/or another tablespoon of lemon for an extra tangy taste. Set aside.
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Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to the package directions, stirring often.
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Place the peas in the sieve and cook them in the water for about 1 to 2 minutes, until they’re warmed throughout, or 2 to 3 minutes if frozen. Set the peas aside.
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Before draining the pasta, scoop out about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water with a heat-safe measuring cup. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot.
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Pour in the green sauce, about ¾ of the Parmesan cheese and the peas, and add a small splash of the reserved cooking water.
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Stir gently until the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash or two of pasta water to loosen the sauce and make it almost creamy.
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Divide into bowls immediately. Top each with a sprinkle of the remaining Parmesan, a few dollops of ricotta, and a sprinkle of lemon zest and red pepper flakes (both optional).
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Finish the bowls with a light drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Leftovers last up to 4, but the flavor degrades as time goes on. Best if consumed within 2 days.
Nutrition
- Calories: 522.84kcal
- Fat: 22.88g
- Saturated Fat: 7.03g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 12.19g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.27g
- Carbohydrates: 59.57g
- Fiber: 7.41g
- Sugar: 6.62g
- Protein: 21.85g
- Cholesterol: 25.45mg
- Sodium: 573.36mg
- Calcium: 355.05mg
- Potassium: 629.71mg
- Iron: 2.92mg
- Vitamin A: 372.56µg
- Vitamin C: 99.20mg
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