Pea and Mint Pasta with Ricotta

A quick, vibrant green pasta made with peas, mint, garlic and Parmesan blended into a silky sauce. Tossed with rigatoni and finished with soft ricotta, it’s fresh, easy, and perfect for Meat-Free Monday.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dinner, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Quick Pasta, Spring Recipe, vegetarian

Cook Time: 20

Servings: people

Calories: 612kcal

Equipment

large pot
Slotted spoon
Blender
Mixing Bowl
Cheese grater

Ingredients

400 g rigatoni or orecchiette, penne, or another short pasta
2 ½ cups about 310 g peas – fresh or frozen
2 large garlic cloves peeled
1 ¼ loosely packed cups fresh mint leaves stems removed
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra to serve
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus extra to taste
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
⅓ cup fresh ricotta to serve
Reserved pasta water about 1 ½ cups

Instructions

Bring water to the boil

Fill a large pot with about 4 litres of water. Bring to a rolling boil and add 1 ½ tablespoons sea salt.

Cook the peas, garlic and mint

Add the peas and garlic to the boiling salted water and cook for 2 ½ minutes.
In the last 10–15 seconds, add the mint leaves.
Scoop everything out with a slotted spoon and transfer straight to a blender.

Blend the sauce

Add the Parmesan, lemon juice, and about ½ cup of hot pasta water to the blender.
Remove the inner cap (or hold the lid slightly ajar with a tea towel) to let steam escape, and blend until smooth and vividly green.
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, then blend again until the sauce is silky and glossy.
Adjust seasoning and lemon juice to taste.

Cook the pasta

In the same pot, cook the pasta until al dente — about 1 minute less than the packet suggests.
Before draining, reserve another 1 cup of the cooking water.

Toss pasta and sauce together

In a large mixing bowl
Pour in the hot green sauce, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta straight from the boiling water into the sauce.
Toss well, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed until every piece is glossy and well coated.

Serve

Divide among bowls and top with spoonfuls of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil, extra Parmesan and cracked pepper.

Video

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