Spring Pea Pasta Salad (original) (raw)

This recipe forspring pea pasta salad with mint, lemon, goat cheese and truffle oil, is simple to put together and the perfect light meal for spring! Serve it warm as a main or chilled as a salad. Vegan-adaptable. See our 40 Fresh & Healthy Spring Recipes.

This recipe for Spring Pea Pasta with lemon, mint, and truffle oil can be served warm as an entree or chilled as a salad. Goat cheese can be added for extra richness, which I enjoy, but if vegan, feel free to leave it out. Use fresh or frozen English peas. The pea tendrils are a bonus—if you can find them, use them, but if not, don’t worry—toss in a little baby spinach or arugula if you like.

The truffle oil however is worth the splurge and makes this dish special. Together with the fresh peas, lemon, and mint, it’s one of my favorite combinations.

Why You’ll Love This

1. Enjoy warm or chilled. This versatile pasta can be enjoyed warm as a pasta dish, or chilled as a pasta salad.
2. Fresh spring flavor. Use fresh English peas and pea shoots if you can find them!
3. Quick & easy! Made in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• Peas: Use fresh English peas or frozen peas, depending on what you have available.
• Pasta: Use any pasta shape you like! Short, twisty shapes are a classic choice for pasta salad, like fusilli and rotini, or even cavatappi.
• Lemons: You’ll use both zest and juice to give the dish a tangy, vibrant taste.
• Truffle oil: I prefer to use white truffle oil. This is worth the splurge! It makes the dish so special.
• Fresh herbs: Mint and Italian parsley bring so much flavor to the dish and really elevate it! Tarragon is also a nice touch.
• Scallions and shallot: Add aromatic flavor and savory depth.
• Pea shoots: Use fresh pea shoots if you can find them! Baby spinach and arugula also work.
• Olive oil: Use a good, high quality extra virgin olive oil as the flavor will really balance the dish.
• Goat cheese crumbles: Optional, but a tasty touch if not making this vegan!

What Are Pea Shoots?

Wandering through the farmers market last week, I stumbled upon these beautiful pea shoots.

Pea shoots are the tender, young leaves and stems of the pea plant. Harvested early in the plant’s growth—long before the plant fully matures to produce peas—these shoots include leaves, tendrils, and sometimes the very young peas themselves.

Pea shoots are celebrated not only for their delightful taste but also for their health benefits, including high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.

Rich in nutrients and packed with a sweet, slightly pea-like flavor, pea shoots are so versatile!

Tender and full of flavor, pea shoots are delicious eaten raw, just as they are, simply tossed into salads or pastas, or very lightly wilted in a sauté pan with a little olive oil, shallot or garlic, and lemon.

Here we’ve simply wilted them in the warm pasta.

How to Make Pea Pasta Salad

Step 1: Boil pasta. Use a large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to package directions.

Step 2: Prep the remaining ingredients. Chop the green onions, shallots, and herbs. Zest two lemons and measure out 1/4 cup lemon juice.

Step 3: Blanch peas. When you estimate the pasta is about done, add peas to boiling pasta water to blanch for one minute, or just until bright green. Drain immediately and add pasta and peas to a large bowl.

Step 4: Toss. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, then toss in pea shoots (or other greens) and add the scallions, shallot, herbs, and lemon zest. Stir.

Step 5: Taste and adjust. Taste for salt and lemon juice, adding more of both if needed. Taste again just before serving. Sometimes the pasta takes a while to absorb the salt and lemon—you may need more!

Step 6: Serve. Pour a little truffle oil over top and serve immediately or chill for later.

Expert Tips

• Use fresh or frozen peas: Both work, but do not use canned peas. The flavor is just not the same!
• Use high quality olive oil: Because the oil is a part of the sauce stirred into the bowl of pasta, its flavor is essential!
• Use high quality salt and pepper: Sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper really enrich the flavor in this dish.
• Blanch the peas in the pasta water: It is so quick and simple to toss the peas in with the cooking pasta during the last minute. Keep them in the pot until bright green, then drain immediately.
• If making a chilled pasta salad: Rinse pasta and peas in cold water. Taste and adjust salt and lemon right before serving. Add goat cheese crumbles (if using) just before serving.
• Add toasted nuts: Pine nuts make a delicious addition!
• Add cheese: Goat cheese crumbles are my favorite for this recipe, but you could also add grated parmesan cheese or pecorino, or if feeling decadent, serve with burrata!

FAQs

How long should I cook the pasta?

I recommend looking at the directions on the box, however I tend to cook for a little less time than what is suggested. You want the pasta to be firm, but cooked, or al dente! The best way to know when it is done is to taste it.

Do I need to rinse the pasta after I drain it?

Unless you are making a chilled pasta, don’t rinse cooked pasta. The starchiness helps emulsify the oil and lemon juice, allowing it to stick to the pasta better. Feel free to reserve a little pasta water to toss in too!

If you are making pasta salad, rinse the pasta and peas in very cold water to prevent them from cooking further.

Can I add meat to this recipe?

This pasta tastes great when served with grilled chicken or fish, but you could also add crispy bacon to the pasta itself!

How long does this pea pasta keep for?

You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to Serve Pea Pasta

Serve as a spring side dish at potlucks or social gatherings. As a chilled pasta salad, it makes a great side to grilled burgers or spring sandwiches. Or, serve as a main with grilled chicken or fish. Pair it with any of our 40 Fresh & Healthy Spring Recipes!

The fresh mint and lemon really complement the peas and truffle oil …. a pasta dish that sings of spring.

I hope you enjoy it!

More Pasta Salad Recipes

Print

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Description

Pea Pasta with lemon, mint and truffle oil – keep it vegan or ad goat cheese. Serve warm as an entree, or chill and serve as a salad…either way it’s delicious.

• 12 ounces pasta
• 3–4 cups fresh peas
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, very finely diced
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons – zest and 1/4 cup juice
• 2 cups fresh pea shoots, baby spinach or arugula
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper ( or black is OK)
• 1 tablespoon truffle oil – I prefer white
• Optional- goat cheese crumbles

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

1. Boil pasta in a generous amount of salted water according to directions.
2. During the very last minute of cooking, if serving this as a warm entree- add the peas to the pasta and just lightly blanch.
3. While the pasta is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.
4. Chop the scallions, shallots and herbs. Zest two lemons, and measure out ¼ cup lemon juice ( you may need more).
5. Once the pasta is just about done, add the peas to the boiling pasta water and blanch for one minute, or just until bright green. Immediately drain, place pasta and peas in large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
6. Toss in the pea shoots (or other greens) and add the scallions, shallot, herbs and lemon zest. Stir to coat.
7. Taste, adjusting salt and lemon juice, adding more of both, if necessary. ( Sometimes pasta takes a while to absorb the salt and lemon – so make sure to taste this again after a few minutes -the saltiness will have settled down quite a bit, and you may need more, especially if you did not salt your pasta water).
8. Drizzle with truffle oil and serve immediately.

Notes

1. If making this as a pasta salad– make sure to rinse pasta and peas in very very cold water to stop the peas from cooking any longer… this will help them keep their lovely bright green color. If making the pasta salad ahead, always taste it right before serving, it may need a little more seasoning ( salt, lemon juice, oil, truffle) Add the goat cheese right before serving.
2. This serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side salad.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 ¼ cup
• Calories: 341
• Sugar: 4.3 g
• Sodium: 354.9 mg
• Fat: 16.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 40.6 g
• Fiber: 4.4 g
• Protein: 8.7 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

More Favorite Pea Recipes