Creamy One-Pot Pasta with Peas is a simple, healthy dinner you can have on the table in under 20 minutes. With just a handful of ingredients and a lightened up yogurt cream sauce, this vegetarian pasta recipe is easy, comforting, and delicious.
When I first started this food blog I had this notion that every recipe I shared had to be super gourmet.(
I still have a list of recipes to-make written down somewhere that includes things like lasagna with both the pasta and the ricotta made from scratch. And I mean, sometimes I do cook like that. Maybe sometimes you do, too. (This Kale Lasagna is made with no-boil noodles and is super easy)
But I'm willing to bet that, like me, 90% of the time you're just looking for easy, healthy, and tasty recipes that you can get on the table quickly on a weeknight. Bonus points if your kids will actually eat it!
What we have here today, a humble offering be that as it may, is one of my back pocket staples, and I figured I should probably share it with you so it can be come one of yours as well.
There's not much that a bag of frozen peas can't do, from soothing a bruised knee to magically transforming a handful of other pantry essentials into a pretty respectable meal. You know what's a match made in heaven? Pasta and peas.
This recipe for Creamy One-Pot Pasta with Peas calls my trusty little green buddies into action yet again, and promises to have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
You can't really argue with that, now can you?
What's in this pasta with peas recipe?
This ingredients list is short but mighty, and I'm willing to bet you've already got many of the ingredients on hand. Here's what you'll need:
- Pasta --> Shocker, I know! I used bowtie pasta, but you can choose your favourite shape.
- Peas --> Trusty frozen peas are 100% up for the task. Related: How to Freeze Peas
- Yogurt --> This is going to form the base of our cream sauce, so please choose a full-fat yogurt. The one I used was 10% fat, for reference.
- Olive oil --> A couple of tablespoons are going down.
- Garlic --> Just one little lonely clove - but feel free to bump that up.
- Parsley --> A good bunch of fresh parsley is bringing us home!
How do you make this creamy one-pot pasta?
You guys, this recipe is soooooooo simple it hardly qualifies as a recipe. But I'm gonna talk you through it anyways.
Step 1: Put a large pot of water on high heat. When it starts to boil, salt it generously and then add the pasta. These bowties took about 10 minutes to cook, but check your pasta package for specific timing.
Step 2: In the last minute of cooking, add the frozen peas to the water.
Step 3: Scoop a large mug of water out of the cooking pasta, and set it aside. Then, drain the pasta and peas in a colander.
Step 4: Return the same pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the olive oil and the garlic. Cook for just 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is juuuuuuust starting to turn brown.
Step 5: Add the yogurt and chopped parsley to the garlic oil, and stir to combine.
Step 6: Add the pasta and peas to the yogurt sauce and stir well. Depending on how thick your yogurt is, you'll want to add a few splashes of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
That is it. Dinner is done.
I recommend you serve big bowls of pasta with peas as piping hot, with a little sprinkling of fresh parsley and a generous shaving of parm. Unless you have a child like mine who will freak out about any "leaves" in his dinner, in which case, just the parm.
I know that this "recipe" is as simple as it gets, but seriously you guys, you have to try this. It's legit soul-satisfyingly good.
To recap, this recipe uses just:
- One pot
- Six ingredients
- 20 minutes of your time
Is that bonkers or what?!
Customize your Pasta with Peas
For example:
- Use gluten-free pasta to make gluten-free pasta with peas
- Use legume pasta such as Banza to bump up the protein. You can even do half legume pasta and half regular pasta to sneak it past picky eaters.
- Add morrrrrrre veggies! Although I do adore serving this alongside a hefty dose of steamed broccoli.
- Sometimes I add little cubes of fried halloumi (related: how to cook halloumi) to add a little pizzaz.
- Looking for a vegan pasta recipe? Try this Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta from Connoisseurus Veg.
- Looking for more like this? I have a whole section dedicated to Quick and Easy Meals.
Hey Nutrition Lady, tell me about peas!
Yes Ma'am!
Frozen peas are good for more than just bruised knees! These little green beauties are low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and are a good source of plant-based protein. The high fiber content in peas is also thought to be helpful in lowering cholesterol, while also stabilizing blood sugar levels.
But it doesn't stop there! Frozen peas are micro-nutrient power houses with manganese, folate, vitamin B1, potassium, and phosphorous.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Orecchiette with Broccoli and Lemon
Tempeh Bolognese
Italian Summer Pasta
10-Minute Vegetarian Ramen Noodles
One-Pot Creamy Pasta with Peas
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta shapes I used bowties
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 cup full-fat plain yoghurt
- ½ cup finely minced parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Salt the water generously, and then add the pasta. Cook for 8-12 minutes, or according to package directions, until the pasta is just al dente.
- In the last minute of cooking, add the peas to the cooking water.
- Scoop a large cup of the pasta water out of the pot, and set it aside.
- Turn the stove to low, drain the pasta and peas, and then set the same pot back on the still-warm burner.
- Add the olive oil and garlic to the pot and stir for a moment to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is just barely starting to brown.
- Add the yogurt and parsley, and stir to combine well.
- Add the pasta and peas, and stir to combine well.
- If the yogurt sauce is too thick, add some pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- This pasta will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge, but is really best served fresh.
Nutrition
Originally posted on March 23, 2015. This recipe was re-tested, re-photographed, and updated on September 12, 2019.
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Emily
I love this recipe so much. I've made it before with low fat yogurt but it really is magical if you use a full fat one. And I've been packing the leftovers as lunch to work. I don't have a microwave so it's a challenge finding leftovers that taste good cold, but this one transforms into a delightful pasta salad experience.
Agness of Run Agness Run
Adore this recipe Katie! Can't wait to share it with my friends!
Katie Trant
Glad you enjoyed it!
Whitney
This recipe screams spring to me! Cannot wait to try it! 🙂
Katie Trant
It's a good recipe to step into spring with. And so quick and easy too!
Emma
This seems to be a theme in the "blogosphere" at the moment 🙂 Personally, I love everything you write, but just like you told me last week "we're not saving lives" 🙂 I tried a similar recipe to this one last week, but it was a total flop! Happy you are here to set me straight!
Katie Trant
No, we're not, are we. Good reminder, Emma!
Joyce
I love getting your posts, but 4 feels more manageable to me as a reader and you as a writer. Love the recipes but never have chance to try them all. Love the nutrition info, so good to have. You make reading some difficult stuff easy, so thank you.
Katie Trant
Thanks for commenting, Joyce! Glad you like the nutrition info and find it approachable. Four does seem like a reasonable number for both sides, doesn't it?
tessa
I have learned so much from WGATW. I may skim some of the articles but inevitably I find at least one per post that I read carefully and it sticks. I look forward to these posts. And I find your nutrition articles inevitably reverberate inside my head long after I've read them, usually while I am planning what to put in my cupboards. Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit overwhelmed by the number of recipes. Although I'm always keen to try them. I am starting to wonder when that cookbook will be published, so I will have a sensible 'go to' set of recipes.
I agree with the others. No need to knock yourself out. We are getting it! Thank you for all your efforts.
Katie Trant
Glad that you enjoy the WGATW posts so much! And yes, hopefully a book one day, but in the mean time, I'll take it easy on the recipes and keep doing what I do 🙂
Lori
I guess I would like 1 or 2 recipe posts per week if that works with your schedule. I greatly appreciate the nutrition info that accompanies each recipe. I think it's perfectly fine for you to take some breaks. Life goes by so fast! We need to make sure we're doing some fun things while we can!
Katie Trant
Thanks Lori! I think I might start alternating weeks with one and two recipes, and take a break when needed. Life is indeed moving at a breakneck speed.
kellie@foodtoglow
I admire and respect your honesty. I can't believe you have kept up this pace, and even increased it. I do enjoy all of your posts, but it is also important for you do to what fits you and your lifestyle (and Paul's too). I know we are important to you, but put yourself first. If you wish to blog 6 times a week, great stuff and we will still be here reading and commenting and sharing. But blog less, we will be here just the same. I average two a week, but sometimes it is more. But really it is dictated by what is going on in my life. As i have fully entered my 50s I have realised I blog for myself more than I blog for others. And that is quite freeing. But that is just me. You need to follow your heart. And as for the recipe, you inspired me to make a pasta with asparagus and rocket (i am not a pea person) with yogurt for tonight's single lady supper 😉
Katie Trant
I love the convenience of frozen peas, but asparagus and rocket sounds just lovely. I'll have to keep that in mind for next time - and I've got some single lady suppers coming up as well! Your comment has made me realize that over the last year I've shifted from blogging for myself to blogging for an audience. Though the comments on this post have made me realize that my most loyal readers value what I have to say about nutrition and wellness above and beyond me cranking out recipes, and that in of itself is freeing.
alison
this morning i was wondering what i was going to do with the huge container of yogurt i'd bought for max before knowing he was going to be out of town all week.
thanks KT!
ps: jack says you're his third favorite human.
Katie Trant
It's a perfect quick, easy, and healthy dinner. This one has Bonner written all over it! Third favourite human is quite the honour, I'll take it! And I look forward to his next visit 🙂
Christine
I agree with everything that Kimberly said in her comment. The nutrition information and live well posts are the ones I will always click on and read right away - and honestly this in one of the few blogs I still keep up with. Like you I spend a lot of work time in front a computer too, and I'm just feeling like limiting my entertainment and social time on computers to feel more balanced, so I tend to only keep reading the things that have the most value to me. I love your recipes, and have made more from this site than from any other that I follow, but I too have a long list of backlogged, bookmarked recipes to try so would be fine with less per week. I am just waiting for you to announce that you're working on a book... I'd love a nutrition and recipe book from you! : ) (not to add to the pressure!)
Katie Trant
Ah, Christine, I'd love to be working on a book! I do have an idea rattling around in my head, so it's probably just a matter of prioritizing actually getting it out of my brain and on to paper and then finding someone who's interested in publishing it. It's interesting that the consensus is that fewer recipes is ok - I totally expected the opposite - definitely gives me a lot to think about!
Linda @ Veganosity
That's something that I've been contemplating too. My blog is my job, so I feel obligated to post at least four times a week, but then I wonder if I'm boring or annoying my subscribers. I'd love to know what the perfect number is. However, I love reading your blog, so you just keep doing what you're doing and I'll keep reading. 🙂
I've never thought to put yoghurt in pasta. I could try a soy yoghurt (not coconut), it sounds interesting and looks delicious.
Katie Trant
For me, four posts a week feels realistic and not overwhelming, though four *recipes* a week I definitely couldn't do. Blogs like yours with a lot of recipes I tend to come to a couple of times a week and catch up on what I've missed, pin the recipes I want to make, and comment on a couple. There's just so dang much content out there!
Alissa
I absolutely know the feeling! At some point I kicked up to six posts a week too, and I keep telling myself it's time to cut back in the interest of work/like balance...but for the most part that does't happen unless something doesn't go as planned. Simplicity definitely helps - both when it comes to recipes for the blog and those just to make for myself. This dish sounds lovely. Pinning it for one of those nights when I cook for me and not the blog. 🙂
Katie Trant
Alissa, I seriously don't know how you do it! Especially since you post six actual recipes, beautifully photographed, each week. I'd lose my mind!
Kimberly
Katie,
Your blog is my favorite because the information you impart is reliable, scientific, simple and realistic. Plus, your recipes are great. I can't keep up with tons of blog posts personally so I tend to skim over many other blogs due to sheer volume, but I read all of yours. I can't see how you keep up the schedule you've been doing so I thought I'd give you a list of the posts I get the most out of. First, your Nutrition and Live Well posts are awesome. Second, I really appreciate the What's Good Around the Web and Meal Planning posts. And I so enjoy your recipes, but fewer would be good because there are so many recipes I want to try and I get overwhelmed and/or lose track when there get to be too many on my to make list.
Thanks for compiling this blog. Find a healthy balance so you can keep it up over the long term!
Katie Trant
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Kimberly! It's interesting, I really expected people to say the opposite, but it seems that the nutrition, live well, and WGATW posts are people's favourites and most people could do with fewer recipes. This has definitely given me a lot to think about!