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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Modified: Sep 26, 2022 | Categories: Main Course

Simple Spaghetti with Peas, Garlic and Parmesan

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Simple spaghetti with peas, garlic and Parmesan: just a few ingredients gets you the most luxurious pasta ever (and it's super simple).

With a mix of al dente spaghetti, spring peas, fresh garlic and loads of Parmesan "carbonara style", this will be your new favorite weeknight dish.

Overhead shot of Simple Spaghetti with Peas, Garlic & Parmesan in a pot
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How to make pasta with peas

Ingredients Needed

  • Spaghetti. Or another long pasta like bucatini or linguine.
  • Olive oil. A good quality kind like California Olive Ranch works well!
  • Garlic. Grab a few cloves, peel and mince them.
  • Egg yolks. Save the whites to make an omelet the next morning!
  • Spring peas. I use frozen peas to make it easy but if you have fresh peas, cook them up and toss them in.
  • Parmesan. Grab a block and use a cheese grater or microplane.
    • And you can never use too much.
  • Lemon. I use the zest and save the lemon juice for another recipe, but if you want it extra lemony go ahead and add some juice!

Equipment Needed

  • A cutting board and chef's knife.
  • A Dutch oven or large pot for boiling the pasta and cooking the rest of it.
  • Tongs for cooking and tossing the pasta.
  • A colander for draining.
  • Measuring cups and spoons or you can eyeball it.
  • A wooden spoon for stirring.
  • A liquid measuring cup for capturing some pasta water.
  • A small bowl to crack the egg yolks in.
  • A microplane to procure some lemon zest and grate fresh Parm.
  • Bowls and forks for serving.
Side shot of Simple Spaghetti with Peas, Garlic & Parmesan

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
  2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 ¼ cups pasta water for later use.
  3. Coat pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
  4. Place ¼ cup olive oil in the large pot on medium-high heat.
  5. Add the peas and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
  6. Add pasta back in to the stock pot, then the pasta water and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
  7. Remove from the heat and stir in the beaten egg yolks until it starts to thicken.
  8. If you remove from the heat, the eggs shouldn't scramble!
  9. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese.
  10. Season with salt, black pepper and lemon zest and juice, to taste.
  11. Remove from heat and place in bowls.
  12. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Substitutions & Alterations

  • Spaghetti: Any long pasta will do, such as bucatini or linguine.
    • I like to choose a higher fiber and/or higher protein pasta to make this more of a substantial meal.
    • You can also use a bean or lentil-based pasta or gluten-free pasta if needed.
  • Peas: If you don't have any on hand, you could skip them or substitute with asparagus or broccoli.
  • Parmesan: You can grate it yourself or grab a tub of fresh Parm that is shaved, shredded or grated.
  • To make it gluten free: Use gluten free pasta.
  • To make it dairy free: Use a dairy free Parmesan substitute.
  • To make it vegan: You can skip the egg yolks and use a plant-based Parmesan substitute.

Pasta Cooking Tips

  • Use a gallon of water per pound of pasta.
  • Heavily salt the water (this keeps the pasta from sticking together).
  • Skip adding oil to the water, as the pasta sauce you use or create will slide right off the pasta and not coat it.
  • Make sure the water is at a rolling boil before adding the pasta.
  • Toss the pasta in the sauce or olive oil immediately after draining so the strands don't stick together.
Overhead shot of Simple Spaghetti with Peas, Garlic & Parmesan in white bowls
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Other delicious pasta recipes:

  • Lemon Asparagus Pasta
  • Cheesy Taco Pasta
  • Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake
  • Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
  • Pasta Calabrese with Artichokes
Print

Simple Spaghetti with Garlic, Peas & Parmesan

Simple Spaghetti with Peas, Garlic & Parmesan
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

Just a few simple ingredients gets you a luxurious carbonara-like spaghetti dish with olive oil, garlic, spring peas, Parmesan and lemon.

  • Author: Julie Andrews
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Stove-Top
  • Cuisine: Italian, American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12-ounce box whole grain spaghetti
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 large egg yolks, beaten
  • 1 cup cooked baby peas
  • ½ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh lemon zest and juice, to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
  2. Drain pasta, reserving 1 ¼ cups pasta water for later use. Coat pasta with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and set aside.
  3. Place ¼ cup olive oil in the large pot on medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add pasta back in to the stock pot, then the pasta water and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the beaten egg yolks until it starts to thicken.
  4. Stir in peas and half the Parmesan cheese.
  5. Season with salt, black pepper and lemon zest and juice, to taste. Remove from heat and place in bowls.
  6. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Pasta Cooking Tips: 

  • Use a gallon of water per pound of pasta
  • Heavily salt the water (this keeps the pasta from sticking together)
  • Make sure the water is at a rolling boil before adding the pasta
  • Toss the pasta in the sauce or olive oil immediately after draining

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ⅙ of recipe
  • Calories: 405
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 245mg
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 5g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 13g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 48g
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Protein: 13g
  • Cholesterol: 101mg

Keywords: whole grain, healthy, easy, tasty, no meat, simple, family friendly, kid friendly

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon @ savormania says

    March 15, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    Such gorgeous photography, the food really pops out, especially the peas! This looks absolutely delicious.

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      March 18, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Hi Sharon! Thank you for the kind words. Beautiful food is so much fun to photograph

      Reply
  2. Pam says

    March 21, 2015 at 4:37 am

    I LOVE pasta more than any other food so I try and limit it but I love the simplicity of this dish of yours. We just finished Dexter.....it was SO ADDICTIVE. I'm curious if you will like the ending. We've never binged a show before so then we wondered what to do with ourselves. lol....we started watching BBC's Sherlock....LOVE IT as well.

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      March 21, 2015 at 11:34 am

      Hi Pam,

      I am also a huge pasta fan! I try and keep it a little healthier with the whole grain versions and portion control {I try}! We finally finished Dexter and I thought the ending was quite traumatizing!!! I am still grieving, and totally understand how you feel without the show.... We are thinking of starting Breaking Bad and/or The Walking Dead!

      Thank you for visiting The Gourmet RD and I hope you come back for me good eats 🙂

      Julie

      Reply
  3. Fiona Manoon says

    May 31, 2019 at 12:16 am

    I Have found this recipe quite amazing.
    Thank you so much for sharing .
    I am going to try this out very soon.
    My family will love it. Thanks for posting !!

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      May 31, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      I hope you love it, Fiona!!

      Reply
  4. Andrea says

    July 18, 2020 at 10:17 pm

    I love these really simple pasta dishes, it's the way to go with Italian or Italian inspired cuisine, use a few quality ingredients and keep it simple. I do a similar spaghetti dish with peas but add quite a lot of chilli because I tend to add chilli to everything. I will give this a go though!

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      July 20, 2020 at 10:39 am

      Same!!! Simple yet delicious flavors is the best way to go! I think this would taste delicious with chilies! Gonna have to try that...

      Reply
  5. Jesse Chrisman says

    February 04, 2021 at 12:13 pm

    I am not a big fan of peas alone unless I soak them in butter. I tested out this recipe and it is a great way to get in vegetables. I have made it a few times now and it is very simple to put together, even my daughter can do it! Absolutely delicious.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Brittany Nikolich says

      February 06, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      I first tried this recipe when you posted it years ago and it has been a staple in my recipe rotation ever since. I love that it uses ingredients I typically have on hand, and it's fast, easy, healthy, satisfying and delicious! I always look forward to the leftovers too! This one is definitely a keeper 👍

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Julie Andrews says

        February 07, 2021 at 12:33 pm

        It's a favorite in our house as well! Glad to hear it's become a staple in your house as well. 🙂

  6. Veronica May says

    August 20, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    So delicious and easy! I’m going to try and add some shrimp to this next time to up the protein. I think it would go perfectly.

    Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      August 23, 2021 at 9:25 am

      Yay! I'm excited you liked it. This is an all-time fave at my house. Shrimp will be delicious with it!

      Reply
  7. Coleen says

    June 05, 2022 at 2:16 pm

    I love this dish! I'm always looking for ways to veganize dishes (my daughter is a vegan), and this is a perfect spring dish! I used 3 tablespoons of Just Egg in place of the egg yolks, and Follow Your Heart parmesan. Absolutely delicious!!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      June 06, 2022 at 7:47 am

      I'm so glad you think so, Coleen!! And amazing substitution options! I love how easy this pasta is to add or subtract ingredients based on your preferences, desires, tastes, what you have on hand, etc! It's a go-to in our house!

      Reply
  8. Hotmessmamma says

    August 12, 2022 at 2:55 pm

    Yum!! We had some Zucchini that was sliced that wasn’t all used from a previous recipe so I chopped it and sautéed at same time as garlic. My 3 year old loved it as did I!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      August 15, 2022 at 7:46 am

      That sounds so yummy!! Great idea to add zucchini and I'm glad your little one loved it, too! Win, win. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Belsea says

    February 22, 2023 at 9:26 pm

    Made exactly as directed. Perfection! Whole family gobbled it up, will make again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      February 25, 2023 at 9:25 am

      That's awesome to hear, Belsea! I absolutely love this spaghetti. It always sounds good and hits the spot. 🙂

      Reply
    • Alfred Dente says

      March 02, 2023 at 7:28 pm

      I'm confused. So you cook the pasta til it's al dente, then later you simmer it potentially much longer til the water reduces?

      How does that not lead to very overcooked pasta?

      I prefer al dente (can't stand overcooked pasta) so I'm worried this step will ruin the meal

      Reply
      • Julie Andrews says

        March 05, 2023 at 7:57 pm

        Hi Alfred. When you add the pasta water back to the pasta to simmer, it comes together really, really quickly. You then shut the heat off to add the egg yolks. I have made this SO many times (it's one of our very favorites) and it has never resulted in overcooked pasta. If you want to be sure of it, you can cook it a hair less than al dente. Enjoy!

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hi, i’m julie!

chef, registered dietitian & mom
passionate about simple, healthy cooking

*formerly the gourmet RD*

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