Skip to main content

Pasta with Peas and Ricotta

Two types of peas are cooked along with the pasta in this one-pot dish, so everything finishes at once. The vegetables should be cooked just long enough that their colors stay vibrant and they are warmed through.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta shapes
12 ounces sugar snap peas, stem ends and any strings removed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon, plus sprigs for garnish
1 cup ricotta cheese

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions, adding snap peas 3 minutes before the end and frozen peas in the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetables, and return them to pot.

    Step 2

    Toss pasta and vegetables with butter, tarragon, and ricotta, adding enough reserved pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

    Step 3

    To serve, divide pasta among shallow bowls, and garnish with tarragon sprigs.

  2. About Gemelli

    Step 4

    Gemelli—which means ā€œtwinsā€ in Italian—is made by twisting two strands of pasta together into a spiral. This shape allows the pasta to hold on to sauce. If you can’t find gemelli, substitute other short shapes, such as penne, fusilli, or rigatoni.

Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright Ā© 2010 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazineĀ’s editors. Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.
Read More
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
The golden, crunchy corners are worth fighting over.
Not stuffed shells. But not not stuffed shells either.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Like spicy carrot rigatoni and weeknight-fancy ravioli with peas.
A veg-forward main or gets-along-with-everyone side.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
The most efficient method takes less than an hour, but you might not even need it.