Greens Peas and Pasta Recipe

Green peas and pasta is a simple one pan recipe pairing sweet green peas with any short pasta (macaroni, shells, farfalle, orzo). If you prefer, you can decrease the amount of water by one up and substitute cooked rice, or quinoa.

One 12 ounce serving of green peas and pasta provides 7 grams of fiber. Not bad for a  recipe using white pasta. For added fiber substitute whole wheat pasta. Green peas, also known as sweet peas, are a good source of dietary fiber that can help maintain regularity.

Many so called diet experts repeatedly condemn eating pasta made from refined white flour. Eating plain cooked pasta alone can evaluate blood glucose (sugar). But, most people don’t eat pasta without some type of sauce or added to a soup or casserole recipe.

Pasta is an inexpensive food that can be prepared 100s of ways to provide a nutritious meal. Many Southern and Northern Italian style pasta recipes include lots of healthy vegetables for a quick, inexpensive meal. You’ll seldom find those recipes with the possible exception of Pasta Premivera on the menu Italian-American restaurants.

Unlike Italians who eat pasta as a first or second course, Americans eat too much pasta, providing too many calories, as their main course.

Pasta with vegetables, like this recipe at only 275 calories per serving, can be a healthy part of a balanced meal.

Sodium Negative Recipe

Green Peas with Pasta, made in accordance with the recipe using water provides more potassium per serving than sodium. One serving has about 450 mg of potassium and 365 mg of sodium. Substituting low sodium, 140 mg per cup, chicken stock without reducing added salt (1 tsp kosher salt) provides about 55mg more sodium than potassium.

Substitutions

To reduce prep time, substitute:

• Dried diced onion for fresh onion. Add dried inion to the pan with the oil, peas and water.
• Use a pinch of garlic power for fresh garlic. Adjust amount to taste.
• For added flavor replace all or part of the water with low sodium chicken broth. Adjust the amount of added salt to taste. Using chicken broth adds 5 to 15 calories and 140 mg of sodium per serving.

 Cook’s Tips

• For peas with rice, add rinsed rise in step 1 or 2 depending on cooking time for type of rice used. Optionally, you can cook rice separately and reduce water for cooking peas to 1 to 2 cups.
• Al dente pasta and rice will continue absorbing water after cooking time is completed for a thicker, less soupy recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (45 g) frozen so salt added green peas or fresh
• 4 cups (950 ml ) water
• 1 (150 g) small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil (regular or extra virgin)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh basil, minced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon (15 m) fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt or to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (100 g) Roma or other small tomato, diced
• Red pepper flakes to tastes (optional)
• 1 cup (150 g) elbow macaroni, shells or other short pasta (about 5 oz.)

Method of Preparation