This GF Pasta with Peas & Mint is a perfect springtime dish. Light, flavorful, with a balance of delicate flavors. A quick sauté brings it all together.
This is a dish I return to each spring. Its simplicity makes it easy to prep on a weeknight and it invites plenty of improvisation.
Improvisations for Pasta with Peas & Mint
- Fresh peas are the best for this recipe, because their sweetness and texture can’t be beat, but frozen peas work well, too.
- If you are looking to add protein to this dish, cannellini beans, grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, bacon, or salmon make great partners to this dish.
- Looking for other veggies to add? Quick blanched asparagus, sautéed zucchini, and artichokes work well, too.
- For other flavors, you can add lemon (Meyer lemons are awesome in this!- see my other recipe here), preserved lemons, basil, or chili flakes to the dish.
How to GF Make Pasta with Peas & Mint
Use your favorite gluten free pasta in this dish. I like to use one with a shorter noodle, like penne, farfalle, campanula, or shells that you don’t have to twirl. See this article for a few pasta brand recommendations.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, steam the peas for 2-3 minutes until tender. You can place them in a mesh strainer in the pasta water, cook them in the microwave, or on the stovetop in a separate pan.
- Then, mince 2 cloves of garlic and sauté them in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until golden. I use my garlic press for this and it makes life so easy!
- Add the peas to the pan and continue to cook for an additional minute. Add 1/4 cup cream (half & half, heavy cream, or whole milk), 1/4 cup of the pasta water and 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon chicken or vegetable base to the peas and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. If you don’t have the bouillon, use 1/4 cup white wine or water and increase the salt when you season it at the end. To me, it’s not worth it to open a can or box of broth for 1/4 cup. If you don’t have cream, you can omit it and just use the broth. I would recommend adding a little extra cheese at the end and a touch of butter for creaminess.
- If you’d like, mash about 1/3 to 1/2 of the peas with the back of a wooden spoon or your spatula against the side of the pan. This will thicken the sauce a bit and give it a pretty, bright green color.
- Grate about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 3 Tablespoons of chopped mint into the peas and stir.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspooon of each).
- Drain the pasta, and toss immediately with the peas to coat the noodles.
- Garnish with additional grated cheese and mint.
Looking for other fast, fresh, Gluten-Free springtime meals?
Here are some of our favorite springtime meals that we keep on rotation:
GF Pasta with Peas and Mint
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This GF Pasta with Peas & Mint is a perfect springtime dish. Light, flavorful, with a balance of delicate flavors. A quick sauté brings it all together.
Ingredients
1 pound GF pasta
1 pound fresh (or frozen) peas
3 stems of fresh mint (3 Tablespoons chopped or julienned)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup cream, half and half, or whole milk
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padana)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Steam the peas for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Mince 2 cloves of garlic and sauté them in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until golden.
- Add the peas to the pan and continue to cook for an additional minute.
- Add 1/4 cup cream, 1/4 cup of the pasta water and 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon chicken or vegetable base to the peas and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- If you’d like, mash about 1/3 to 1/2 of the peas with the back of a wooden spoon or your spatula against the side of the pan. This will thicken the sauce a bit and give it a pretty, bright green color.
- Grate about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 3 Tablespoons of chopped mint into the peas and stir.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspooon of each).
- Drain the pasta, and toss immediately with the peas to coat the noodles.
- Garnish with additional grated cheese and mint.
Notes
If you don’t have Better than Bouillon, use 1/4 cup white wine or water and increase the salt when you season it at the end.
If you don’t have cream, you can omit it and just use the broth. Adding a little extra cheese at the end and 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pea mixture for creaminess.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
