Peas and Tomato Sauce with Mint and Parsley

Peas and Tomato Sauce with Mint and Parsley riffs on Pasta con Piselli, an Italian classic. The peas, mint and parsley in this sauce bring a flash of Spring to your dinner table. After the prep work, the sauce is prepared while the pasta cooks. It works best with a small form pasta, like pennette, orecchiette, ditali or even old-fashioned elbow macaroni.  Easy to prepare, Peas and Tomato Sauce with Mint and Parsley over pasta is attractive to serve and really tasty.  Start with some Breaded Cauliflower followed by Peas and Tomato Sauce with Mint and Parsley over pasta for a classic Italian dinner.

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 60 minutes, Serves 2.

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Ingredients:

• 4 Tb. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tb. Unsalted Butter*
• ½ Tb Shallot, minced
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 2 Thai chilis, sliced into thin rings or ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes**
• Pinch of coarse Sea Salt*
• 3 ripe Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup Fresh or Fresh Frozen Peas
• 2 Tb. Fresh Mint leaves, slivered
• 2 Tb. Fresh Parsley leaves, slivered
• 2 oz/57 grams Pennette, Orecchiette, Ditali or other small form pasta per person

Preparation:

1. Bring a 3-quart pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a wide, deep frying pan until the butter melts.
3. Add the shallot, garlic, Thai chilies and sea salt and sauté until just beginning to soften.
4. Add the Roma tomatoes and peas, stirring to mix, cover and cook over a medium-high heat.
5. The water should be boiling by now, add the pasta, stir and cook uncovered.
6. After about 10 minutes, the tomatoes should have cooked down nicely.
7. The sauce should be smooth and thick. If it is too watery or thin, cook uncovered for a minute or two; if it is too dry or sticking, add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water.
8. With the sauce at the correct consistency, stir in the mint and parsley, cover and let simmer for 1 minute.
9. The pasta should be done now, drain it well.
10. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce, turn off the heat and mix thoroughly.
11. Serve immediately, accompanied by grated Parmigiano and Romano cheeses.

*Notes:

• The recipe calls for unsalted butter and coarse sea salt; if using salted butter, omit the pinch of sea salt.
• While not overly spicy, you can turn down the heat by using one Thai chili or ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes or none at all if that suits your palate.