Lemon spaghetti with peas and ricotta! Mix up your pasta night routine with this recipe! Prepared quickly with just a few ingredients.
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If you’re bored of your quick and easy dinners and looking for something new to spice up your pasta routine, try this lemony spaghetti dish.
Spring onions are simply bulbs grown in spring to thin out onion beds. Don’t confuse sweet spring onions with spring onions or scallions — real spring onions are sweeter and more tender than either.
Look for spring onions at farmers markets this time of year. They look like large spring onions with thick stems and bulbs two to three inches in diameter. The tough outer leaves should be removed before cooking, but not discarded. Stick them in the freezer for stock.
This recipe can be prepared quickly if you practice a little multitasking when preparing dinner.
First, take the time to prep the ingredients before you start cooking: grate the lemon zest, squeeze the juice, slice the onions, chop the parsley, measure out the peas and stock, and place the dry pasta next to the stove. Now you are ready to roll.
When your spaghetti is ready, do as the Italians do and toss the spaghetti with the onion and pea sauce right in the pan. Pour into bowls, spread ricotta, breadcrumbs and parsley on top, done.
At the table, everyone mixes the ingredients together in their bowl. Don’t expect to hear too many conversations when the first bites go down!
Lemon spaghetti with peas and ricotta
If you can’t find actual scallions, you can substitute 4 to 5 shallots or scallions instead. Use both the white and green parts.
This is a very spaghetti-focused recipe meant to satisfy a real pasta craving. You can reduce the amount of pasta to 1/2 pound (or increase the amount of scallions and peas) if you prefer a larger proportion of veggies in your serving.
ingredients
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4 tablespoon olive oil
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3/4 Cup Panko bread crumbs
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Fresh ground black pepper
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3/4 Cup good quality fresh ricotta
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2 heaped tablespoons Finely grated Lemon peeldivided
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5 tablespoon fresh lemon juicedivided
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salt and peppertaste
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3/4 lb dry spaghetti
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1 large or 3 small spring onion Onions, tough outer layers removed and remainder halved and thinly sliced (approx 1/2 Cup)
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1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
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1/4 Cup chicken or vegetables share
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2 tablespoon fresh Parselychopped
method
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Begin by heating the water for the pasta:
Place a large saucepan of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil as you continue the recipe.
To toast the panko breadcrumbs: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the panko and stir constantly for 3 to 5 minutes or until the crumbs are golden. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
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Prepare the lemon ricotta:
In another small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, 1 heaping tablespoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (save the rest). Season with salt and pepper.
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Cook spaghetti:
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and set the timer 2 minutes less than the recommended time (That way you can be sure you’re cooking the pasta al dente).
Cook the spaghetti uncovered in boiling water. When done, it should be cooked but still firm in the middle. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the sauce and drain in a colander.
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Cooking Spring Onions and Peas:
While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in the same large skillet you toasted the breadcrumbs. Add the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 7 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, the chicken broth, and the peas. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes or until peas are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
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Combine the spaghetti with the peas:
Reduce the heat to low. Using tongs, add the cooked spaghetti and 1/4 cup pasta water to the pan. Stir until hot, adding more pasta water if needed, until pasta is coated in sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
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Serve pasta:
Divide the spaghetti among four pasta bowls. Spoon ricotta over the pasta and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parsley.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 431 | calories |
| 13g | Fat |
| 62g | carbohydrates |
| 15g | protein |
