Pea & Pecorino Pasta Recipe

A fantastic spring pasta with peas, pea shoots, macadamias, and pecorino. Quick and easy to make, it’s got loads of little surprises in it; pickled and toasted shallots, and a little lemon and white wine vinegar to offset the creaminess of the peas and the pecorino. You can also prepare it the day in advance (just stop at the end of step five), and it’ll only take 10 minutes to bring it together on the day.

Prep Time: 30 Mins

Cook Time: 10 Mins

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Fresh Tagliatelle - 250g

  • Pecorino (or manchego) - 30g (cut into pea-sized cubes)

  • Shallots - 6 to 8

  • White Wine Vinegar - 50ml (plus a couple of tablespoons)

  • Cumin Seeds (or ground cumin) - 3 tsps

  • Macadamia Nuts - 75g

  • Olive Oil - 2 tbsp (plus a little to fry in)

  • Pea Shoots (or Watercress) - 50g (keep a few small leaves aside to serve)

  • Frozen Peas - 75g

  • Fresh Peas - 75g (can be frozen if you can’t find fresh)

  • Lemon - 1

  • Salt & Pepper

Method

Pea Pasta Step One - Toasted Shallots

Pre-heat the oven to 100°C (120°C for non-fan ovens) and line a tray with grease proof paper.

Peal and slice half the shallots (at about the width of a pound coin), place on the grease proof paper and cook in the over for 30-40 minutes until they’ve started to take on some brown colour and have started to go crispy.

You can carry on with the next steps whilst you’re waiting for them to cook. (Once cooked, set aside until you’re ready to serve).

 

Pea Pasta Step Two - Pickled Shallots

Thinly slice the remaining shallots and place in a bowl with 50ml of the white wine vinegar (or enough to cover the shallots), stir in 2tsps of the cumin and a little salt and pepper.

Set the mix aside to pickle until you’re ready to serve.

 

Pea Pasta STEP Three - Toasted MACADAMIAS

Place the macadamias into a blender and pulse until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs with a few lumps still present.

Pour the ground macadamias into a pan with a the olive oil and cook over a low heat until browned.

 

Pea Pasta STEP Four - Pea-Macadamia Pesto

Add the toasted macadamias back into the blender.

Defrost the peas in a pan or microwave and add them to the blender with the peashoots, juice of the lemon, 2 tsps of white wine vinegar, and 1tsp of cumin, plus season. Keep a few of the smaller pea shoot (r watercress) leaves aside to serve.

Blend until you have a pesto-like consistency - set aside until you’re ready to cook the pasta.

 

Pea Pasta STEP Five - Fresh Peas

Add the fresh peas to a pan with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook on a low-medium heat until they’ve taken on some colour - taste to make sure they’re cooked through. Set aside until you’re ready to cook the pasta.

 

 

Pea Pasta STEP SIX - Cooking PAsta

Pasta.jpg

Once you’re ready to service:

Cook the pasta in boiling water, in line with the packet’s description (usually around 3-5 minutes for fresh pasta).

Drain the pasta and return to the pan, stir in the pea-macadamia mix, and the cooked fresh peas, warm through on a low heat.

 

Pea Pasta STEP Seven- Pea & Pecorino Pasta

Pea and Pecorino FC2.jpg

To serve, using a fork, spin the pasta around it by twisting the fork. Transfer a mound of the pasta to a plate.

To the pasta off with: whole peas from the pan, cubes of manchego, the pickled and toasted shallots, and some fresh peas shoots.

I find it also good to drizzle a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.

And that’s it, hope you enjoy!