I absolutely love a good pasta recipe and in the springtime I crave meals that are fresh and refreshing. My Spring Pea and Asparagus Penne Pasta is the BEST of both worlds! This dish is packed with seasonal vegetables like green peas, fresh asparagus, and shallots. For an extra pop of flavor I add a squeeze of lemon juice and ground black pepper. And lets not forget the best part... pecorino and burrata! Another key part to this recipe is the pasta. I use Barilla penne and cooking it to al dente is the trick that makes my Spring Pea and Asparagus Penne Pasta perfection. I am so happy to use Barilla because they make it so easy to get the pasta cooked just right. Their boxes tell you how long to cook your pasta, so set a timer, get a glass of wine and enjoy the moment while your pasta cooks. It makes cooking a relaxing and fun experience. Pro tip, if the box says to cook 11-12 minutes, cook 11 and give it a taste. That way, it will not overcook and you'll make sure the pasta keeps that craveable bite!
Enjoy making this Spring Pea and Asparagus Penne Pasta! So fresh and satisfying!
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Thinly slice shallot
Chop asparagus into ~1 inch pieces (make sure to also remove 1/2 inch off the end of each stalk and discard)
Measure peas
Grate pecorino
Grate the 1/2 lemon for zest, then juice it
Remove butter from fridge
Fill a large pot with heavily salted water and start bringing it to a boil.
Heat up olive oil in a pan on medium low. Add in shallots and garlic. Mix for 3 minutes until tender and fragrant.
Add in chopped asparagus, peas, and butter. Mix well until butter is melted. Add in lemon juice. Mix and cover to let cook.
Add in dry penne pasta to the boiling water. Stir and let cook for 11-12 minutes for that perfect al dente texture. We love checking at 11 minutes just to make sure! Take a bite to test!
When penne is perfectly al dente, remove from heat. Reserve 1/3 C of pasta water before straining the pasta.
Uncover the other pot and add in the penne followed by the pecorino and pasta water. Mix well! You can add more pecorino and salt to taste.
Serve hot topped with fresh pepper, the lemon zest, and ripped pieces of burrata!
Enjoy!
This recipe was originally featured on Instagram in partnership with Barilla.
Check out a video of this recipe over on Instagram here.
If you love this recipe, you should try: Easy Lemon Basil Pesto Pasta, or Creamy Cheesy Lemon Pasta
For more recipes and lifestyle content, please follow along my Instagram, TikTok,and Pinterest.
Ingredients
Directions
Thinly slice shallot
Chop asparagus into ~1 inch pieces (make sure to also remove 1/2 inch off the end of each stalk and discard)
Measure peas
Grate pecorino
Grate the 1/2 lemon for zest, then juice it
Remove butter from fridge
Fill a large pot with heavily salted water and start bringing it to a boil.
Heat up olive oil in a pan on medium low. Add in shallots and garlic. Mix for 3 minutes until tender and fragrant.
Add in chopped asparagus, peas, and butter. Mix well until butter is melted. Add in lemon juice. Mix and cover to let cook.
Add in dry penne pasta to the boiling water. Stir and let cook for 11-12 minutes for that perfect al dente texture. We love checking at 11 minutes just to make sure! Take a bite to test!
When penne is perfectly al dente, remove from heat. Reserve 1/3 C of pasta water before straining the pasta.
Uncover the other pot and add in the penne followed by the pecorino and pasta water. Mix well! You can add more pecorino and salt to taste.
Serve hot topped with fresh pepper, the lemon zest, and ripped pieces of burrata!
Enjoy!
