Bring your kid to the market and into the kitchen for this accessible recipe!
Have your young eater pick out their choice of peas and herbs from the market. At home, pea tops can be snapped off or cut off using a toddler knife. Beyond that, herbs are a great way to talk about flavor with youngins.
Connect over food as a family, and enjoy the bright green pasta you’ve crafted together. On top of it all, this dish uses just one pot to make cleanup as easy as possible!
Ingredients:
- Fresh snap or snow peas, trimmed
- Short, shaped pasta (we’ve used a locally made creste di gallo, but bowties work just as easily!)
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese (hint: it’s easy and cost-effective to make your own!)
- ¼ cup Parmesan or similar hard aged cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 lemon, juiced (it helps to keep peas bright green!)
- A large handful of mixed fresh green herbs (micro dill, chives, and mint were used here, but parsley, basil, fennel, or tarragon would also be lovely! Use whatever is available at the market.)
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. While the water is boiling, add ricotta, Parmesan, frozen peas, and lemon juice to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.
- Once the water is boiling, add fresh peas to blanch (place in boiling water just until tender, then remove from heat and add to ice water to stop the cooking process).
- In the same boiling water, add your pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, trim your herbs.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta back into the warm pot, along with the ricotta sauce. Mix until all noodles are coated. Lightly toss in the snap peas, just to distribute and warm the vegetables. Serve with plenty of fresh herbs on top!
