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As the days lengthen and the sun begins to shine, my culinary instincts shift from cozy hearty meals, to light, vibrant, and refreshing recipes. Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas celebrates Spring’s fresh produce with its light, creamy, and zesty sauce loaded with asparagus and peas.
Table of Contents
- 🫛 Why You’ll Love Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
- 🗒 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
- ✍🏼 How To Make Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
- 🗒️ Variations & Substitutions
- 🤝 Pairs Well With
- 🤔 FAQ’s
- 🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.
- 👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
- 💌 Let’s Stay Connected
- Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas Recipe
🫛 Why You’ll Love Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
Taste of the season: asparagus and peas are in their peak season during the months of April and May.
Light & refreshing: the combination of asparagus, peas and lemon zest perfectly capture springtime, while keeping it light and fresh.
Easy to make: you won’t need longer than 20 minutes to whip up this orecchiette with asparagus and peas, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.
🗒 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
Orecchiette: which is a type of short-cut pasta, which translates to ‘little ears’ in Italian. It’s known for its concave shell shape making it perfect for cream sauce dishes.
Olive oil: used to sauté the veggies.
Butter: used to add flavour and sauté the veggies.
Heavy cream: adds a rich creamy sauce base.
Parmigianao reggiano: used to thicken the sauce while adding a delicious flavour.
Asparagus: provides a subtle earthy bitterness that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the peas.
Fresh or frozen peas: provides a subtle sweetness that contrasts nicely with the bitterness of the asparagus.
Garlic cloves: adds a subtle spice.
Shallot: used for flavour and spice.
Lemon zest: adds a freshness to the pasta.
Red pepper flakes: gives it a nice kick of heat.
Nutmeg: adds a warm and slightly nutty flavour which pairs really well with the cream sauce.
✍🏼 How To Make Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
- Firstly, cook your pasta and set aside until ready to use.
- Secondly, in a large saucepan combine the olive oil, butter, shallot, asparagus, and frozen peas.
- Next, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Then, add the heavy cream and parmigiano reggiano and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened.
- Finally, add the cooked pasta and mix to combine.
👉🏻 Tips to elevate your orecchiette with asparagus and peas
- Reserve pasta water: helps to thin out the sauce and adds flavour.
- Slice the asparagus the same size: this will ensure they cook evenly.
- Pasta: if you don’t have orecchiette opt for another pasta similar in size.
🗒️ Variations & Substitutions
- Kick up the heat: by finishing with your favourite chili oil or more red pepper flakes.
- Use another pasta: opt for your favourite smaller pasta in this recipe. For example, penne, macaroni or farfalle.
🤝 Pairs Well With
🤔 FAQ’s
You sure can. However, keep in mind that the texture might be slightly softer than fresh peas.
For example, farfalle, penne or macaroni would work well.
Firstly, you can add grilled chicken or shrimp. Secondly, if you want to keep it vegetarian adding white beans is also an option. Finally, you can finish with roasted nuts which would keep it vegetarian and also add some protein.
For instance, a sweeter wine like pinot grigio or gewürztraminer would complement the flavours nicely. Alternatively, a sauvignonbBlanc or rose would also pair nicely.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat simply microwave for 30-45 seconds or reheat in a saucepan until heated throughout. Add a splash of cream or chicken broth to slightly thin out the sauce if required.
👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Italian Chicken Cutlets
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Caramelized Onion Pasta
- Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
- Crispy Rice Salad
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! If you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas
Equipment
- 1 large pan
Ingredients
- 250 grams orecchiette, or small pasta of choice
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmigianao reggiano, finely grated
- 1/2 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and sliced diagonally
- 1/2 cup fresh peas
- 1 shallot, chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- lemon zest, to garnish
- fresh basil, to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.Add your pasta and cook until al dentre. Reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and set to medium heat.
- Add the shallot, asparagus, and peas. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, just until the shallot is fragrant and the asparagus and peas begin to brown.
- Next, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute, allowing the garlic to become fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 2 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Add the parmigiano reggiano and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta, along with a 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water and stir one last time.*Add an additional 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water if you want to thin out the sauce even more.
- Turn off the heat and finish with lemon zest, fresh basil and cracked black pepper.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good!! I made this for the first time yesterday for Easter dinner. I was a litte worried that it would be too heavy, but it definitely was not! The lemon zest is a must! It really brightens up the taste. Also, I didn’t have coriander, so I just omitted it.
Hi Cathi! Thanks for the review! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!