You can make Pasta with Peas (Piselli) in less than 30 minutes! You'll love this one-pot, easy recipe from Naples. Add bacon if you wish, and don't miss the video!
My family is from Naples, so I've been enjoying this pasta e piselli my whole life. It's one of my all-time favorite meals, and it's attracted hundreds of thousands of Cooking with Mamma C fans since I first published the recipe in 2016!
Read on, if you want to know how to make the best Pasta with Peas! It's a one-pot meal that can be on your table in under 30 minutes. The cooking water doesn't get drained, so it's a cross between soup and a pasta dish.
If it sounds similar to Pasta with Zucchini, Pasta with Broccoli, Pasta e Fagioli and Pasta e Ceci Beans, you're onto something!
I love all of these one-pot pasta dishes I grew up eating and now make for my family. But if I had to choose my absolute favorite...it's Pasta with Peas for the win!
Promise me you'll try it. It's the perfect meatless meal for Lent or any night of the week! And be sure to try the Straw and Hay Pasta and Sautéed Italian Peas!
Recipe ingredients
Pasta: Ditalini is traditionally used for this dish. But you could substitute tubetti, elbows, little shells or any small pasta to make your macaroni and peas!
Just make sure to use dried pasta instead of fresh, homemade pasta. Fresh pasta cooks too quickly for the one-pot, no-draining method we're using here.
Peas: I always use frozen peas for convenience, but you can use fresh peas if they're available. I love the sweetness of baby peas, but you can use garden peas.
Onions: Use yellow, white or red onions. Use yellow onions for a stronger flavor, red ones for a hint of sweetness or white ones for a milder flavor. Lately, I prefer yellow onions in this dish!
Cheese: We're using equal parts of Parmesan and Romano cheeses here, achieving the perfect balance of salty and sharp flavor. For the best results, use freshly grated cheese. I use my Vitamix (affiliate link).
Note, some vegetarians won't eat Parmesan or Romano because an animal enzyme (rennet), is used in their production. If this is an issue, vegan Parmesan can be used instead.
Optional Bacon: Mom used to make this pasta and peas with bacon, but we've kept it meatless for several years now. We don't miss it, since there's plenty of flavor going on here.
But, see the recipe notes for instructions to add bacon or pancetta.
How to make pasta with peas
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Sauté the onions in olive oil.
- Add the peas and cook until nearly done. Then add the water.
- Bring the pot to a boil.
- Add the ditalini and cook the pasta until al dente.
- Don't drain the water. Turn off the heat and add Parmesan and Romano.
Recipe tips
- Be sure to measure the water as directed to boil the pasta. We're using just enough water to cook the pasta without draining it. If you pour in too much water, you'll have watery results.
- The water amount listed is for ditalini pasta, which generally takes about 10 minutes until it's al dente. If you use a different type of pasta that takes longer to cook, you may need to add up to a cup of extra water so it won't all be absorbed before the pasta is done.
What to serve with it
If you want this Pasta with Peas to be the main dish, serve it with the best Italian tossed salad and homemade Italian bread or Parmesan focaccia.
Or, the pasta can be the first course, followed by chicken cutlets, broiled cod or oven-fried fish with a side of rapini (broccoli rabe).
You can use beautiful Italian pasta bowls (affiliate link) to show off this delicious meal.
Frequently asked questions
It's best to eat this dish immediately, because the leftovers will get dry. But you can store pasta and peas in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Don't freeze it, or the pasta will become mushy.
You can reheat servings of pasta and peas in the microwave, covered with wax paper. Add a little olive oil to the food first, so it won't be dry.
You also could reheat this in a covered pan on the stove. Add olive oil or butter first.
More recipes like this
Be sure to check out my other pasta recipes and don't miss these:
- Chicken Pastina Soup
- Linguine with Clams
- Italian Minestrone Soup
- Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta
- Orecchiette with Rapini and Sausage
Enjoy!
If you try this Pasta with Peas recipe, please leave a rating and a comment!
E-Cookbook!
With my Pasta & Sauces collection, even a beginner can cook like an Italian nonna!
Pasta with Peas (Piselli)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (yellow, white or red)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 13-ounce package frozen baby peas
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 ½ cups hot water
- 1 pound ditalini or other small pasta (dried pasta, not homemade)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
- red pepper flakes for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium-high. Add the onions to the pot and stir to coat them with oil. Cook the onions for five minutes or until they're soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. While the onions are cooking, you can grate the cheeses if needed. (I use my blender.)
- Add the frozen peas, salt and pepper to the pot and stir to combine. Let the peas cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be almost fully cooked.
- Add the water to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cover the pot with a lid and let the water come to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and stir it to prevent sticking. Lower the heat slightly and cook the pasta, uncovered, until it's al dente, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. (Make sure to scrape along the bottom of the pot.) When the pasta is cooked, do NOT drain the water.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and Romano. Taste to see if you need any extra salt. (You may not, since the Romano is salty.)
- Serve with extra Parmesan (or Romano) and red pepper flakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Add a little olive oil before reheating leftovers, so they're not dry.
Notes
- I always use baby peas, since they're sweeter than regular peas.
- If you want to make this with meat, you can add 4 ounces of cubed pancetta or prosciutto or 3-4 strips of bacon, chopped, when the onions are soft.
- Use store-bought, dried pasta for this recipe. We haven't tested it with homemade pasta, which cooks much faster and may not provide enough time for the water to absorb.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from Mom's version of this dish, which she learned from Nonna. Originally published on February 10, 2016, updated with a video and new photos in 2019 and republished now with more information.)
Linda Romeo says
My Lebanese mother in law made this dish. She used 3 cans of Leseur small baby peas instead of frozen. Do not drain the cans of peas. Use the entire cans and add enough water to get to the 4.5 cups of liquid. We liked ours more like a soup so probably we added more water. The cheese went on top in your bowl. Enjoy!
Mamma C says
Hi Linda - Good to know how to make it with canned peas. Thank you.
Christine k says
Can I add spinach?
Mamma C says
Hi Christine - You could try adding some (not too much) after pouring in the water and letting it come to a boil. You might need to add another 1/2 cup of water.
SuzyQ says
I’m glad I came across this last night. I had a box of ditalini and didn’t know what to do with it. The two cheeses do make the dish. Was easy and I’ll make it again. Fresh peas would be delicious I’ll bet.
Mamma C says
Hi Suzy - I'm glad you came across this recipe too! I hope you'll try some of my others as well.
Kim says
How much water do you add?
Mamma C says
Hi Kim - All of the details are in the recipe card in the post. It's 4 1/2 cups hot water.
Kate says
Simple goodness.
I do some chicken broth in addition to hot water. Chopped green onions in addition to white onions is how I remember it from my childhood, and a pretty topping, too.
Thanks for the reminder on how simple and wonderful this dish is (:
Mamma C says
Hi Kate - I'll have to try the green onions! The chicken broth sounds good too.
David DeFalco says
I grew up eating this dish during the summers in northern NJ during the 1950s//1960s. It always had bacon, and was only ever made with FRESH peas straight out of the pod (hence being a summer-only dish). My mom used elbow macaroni, but any small pasta would work well. BTW - my family is Sicilian. Anyway, thanks for bringing back some fond memories. I'll make this soon, if i can find some fresh peas!
Mamma C says
Hi David - Thanks for sharing your memories! Fresh peas are hard to come by, so we've always used frozen ones. I bet the fresh are delicious. If you don't want to wait so long though, I recommend the frozen Birds Eye Baby Sweet Peas, which I find to be the best I've tried.
Arlene Vetensky says
Can I freeze leftovers?
Mamma C says
Hi Arlene - We've never tried it. I'm wondering if it would make the pasta too mushy. Let me know if you try it.
Karen says
I made this tonight and it was excellent. The only change I made was sauteing some bacon until it was crisp and using the bacon fat to cook the onions in. I added the bacon back in right before serving. I'll definitely make this again. Thank you for a great recipe!
Mamma C says
Hi Karen - Bacon is wonderful in this dish. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Ben Robertson says
How much bacon?
Mamma C says
Hi Ben - Use 3 strips of thick bacon or 4 strips of thin bacon. I added that to the recipe notes. Enjoy!
Mimi says
this was great! We had it tonight, I made half a recipe. The first time I ever didn't "drain" the pasta. It was delicious!!
Mamma C says
Hi Mimi - I'm so glad you enjoyed the pasta with peas! You may also like this pasta with zucchini and pasta with broccoli.
mimi says
well, i'm hoping to grow zucchini this summer, so... thank you!
Mamma C says
You're welcome, Mimi!
Janis says
I am also Calabrese. My mom used to make this when I was young - a million years ago. So great to have an actual recipe! It’s delicious and so perfect.
One question: With regard to the nutritional info - what is the serving size?
Mamma C says
Hi Janis - I'm glad you enjoyed this Pasta e Piselli recipe! This makes six servings, but I haven't measured the exact amount in each.