Pasta and Peas

 10 November 2021

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, May 2021

I'm always open to trying a new homemade soup recipe. This recipe, a version of the Italian pasta e piselli, is a combination of ingredients that we enjoy and it looked like it could be made quickly, so it was worth a try. This humble dish is similar to pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpeas) and pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans).

Onion, pancetta, salt, and pepper were cooked in hot olive oil in a large sauce pan until the onion was softened. Chicken broth and water were added and brought to a boil. Tubetti pasta was added and cooked until al dente. Frozen peas were stirred in off heat followed by Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh parsley, and fresh mint. I used spearmint as it was the only mint that was available at the supermarket. Total time to prepare the soup was 50 minutes.

This is a nice, simple soup, easy and quick to make. There is a nice contrast between the chewy pasta and fresh green peas. The recipe called for just the right amount of mint so you get a hint of it that did not overpower the other flavors. However, there is a lot of leftover fresh mint that I didn't have any use for. The soup might have benefitted from a little more cheese and a little more meat.