Pasta with Smashed Peas

The April 2006 edition of Real Simple had a recipe for pasta with smashed peas and ricotta cheese. It looked pretty... yellowy noodles with white ricotta and bright green peas and chives... and it sounded like a nice summer meal. Well, last week we had one day reach 87 degrees. Tim brought up the fans from the basement, and Kingsley had one aimed at him all day. Within 2 days the rains came back and the high for Saturday was 57 degrees!

Unfortunately during the meantime between summer arriving, and winter returing, we made dinner plans with friends who are getting married at the end of the month. Thought how nice it would be to have a light, summery meal with a fruity riesling.

Well, we put on our layers of clothing and had our summery meal, despite the cold rain outside. I thought this was a very yummy, light meal, and it will definitely be made again as the summer acutually progresses.

Since this is a recipe of few ingredients, I made homemade pasta to serve with it, as there is something extra-special about homemade pasta.

Pasta with Smashed Peas, Real Simple April 2006

1 lb pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine or linguine
1 16 oz package of frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup ricotta
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped chives
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, pulse the peas in a food processor or blender until chopped but not pureed. Add 1/2 cup of the ricotta, season with salt and pepper, and pulse to combine. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the pea puree and reserved pasta water and toss. Divide the pasta among 4 individual bowls. Top with the remaining ricotta, a sprinkle of chives (which I found to be a crucial flavor addition), and a drizzle of olive oil.