Pasta with Peas or Pasta e Piselli

Pasta with peas or Pasta e Piselli is a classic Italian pasta recipe, a super delicious, frugal & easy one-pot pasta meal.

Adding diced ham or some bacon and a little parmesan rounds out this unusual but outstanding pasta recipe.

Pasta e Piselli

I love peas, I always have and this recipe is one of many recipes that combines pasta with peas.

I commit the apparent crime of making my carbonara with peas, I have a pea pesto and even add peas to my tuna pasta salad.

This recipe is glorious in its simplicity and it all cooks in one pot.

You simply fry off the bacon or ham with some onion and then add the peas, and some mint. Then add the pasta and water and cook.

The dish is partway between a classic pasta dish and a soup, much like my tortellini soup.

It is an Italian recipe at heart and it varies greatly from region to region, in some places it is suffixed with the word “brodo” which means broth and it is served really very wet.

This recipe is delicious, simple and easy on the pocket too!

Frequently Asked Questions

What bacon or ham should I use?

I am a firm believer in cooking with what you can locally source when it comes to fresh ingredients.

There are some that will demand this dish is made with pancetta from a very specific region… But it is almost certain that in most parts of the world you have some wonderful cured pork product that will give pancetta or prosciutto run for its money!

Are frozen peas ok?

Oh gosh yes! I make this recipe throughout the year and whilst it is fantastic with fresh spring peas from the garden but it is just as magic on a cold winter night made with frozen peas.

Just run them under cold water to defrost them whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It only takes 4 or 5 minutes.

What type of pasta do you use?

The pasta in these images is called Ditalini Licsi, but you can use any small form pasta.

What do I serve it with?

I’d say a spoon and a glass of wine and be done. But a nice bit of bread to dip into the “soupy” sauce around the side of the pasta tips it over the edge.

Something with an open texture like ciabatta is perfect.

Recipe Variations

As I mentioned above this recipe has many variations across Italy and it is pretty easy to change up.

Adding either sliced or chopped garlic adds an autumnal vibe as does a wee sprinkling of dried chilli flakes.

If you want to cross borders then chipotle chilli flakes add a glorious smokey flavour that can complement your choice of ham or bacon.

Omitting the ham makes for a great vegetarian pasta dish. But you may want to use vegetable stock rather than water to boost the flavour.

Using nutritional yeast rather than parmesan cheese can make this recipe vegan.

You can even add tomatoes! There are some folk that will call you names for doing so, but I have seen this recipe in Italian made with tomatoes.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• 18cm or 7″ saucepan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Sieve or colander to defrost the peas if required.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
• Grater.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Kettle for boiling water.