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Pasta with Peas and Herb Gremolata is an incredibly simple one-pot comfort food. Peas and pasta are simmered in an aromatic broth with vegan parmesan cheese and served with a fresh herb gremolata for an extra pop of bright flavor. Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.
When the day is getting away from you but you still need to put dinner on the table, make this one-pot Pasta with Peas Recipe. Pasta and frozen peas are simmered in an aromatic, savory, and cheesy sauce, then served with a refreshing herb gremolata on top. So creamy and luxurious, it’s an unbelievably simple yet comforting meal you can have ready in just 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
Pasta and Peas, Together At Last
When I think about my favorite childhood meals, usually creamy and cheesy dishes come to mind (hello, Vegan Mac & Cheese and Triple Garlic Pasta!). I love getting in the kitchen and giving these nostalgic meals a grown-up twist because I sometimes still feel like a kid at heart! Besides, it’s usually pretty easy and you only ever need simple ingredients.
My creamy and dreamy recipe for Vegan Pasta with Peas is yet another humble, kid-approved meal with luxurious grown-up flavors that come mostly from pantry staples. It’s inspired by the classic Italian dish pasta e piselli (meaning pasta and peas in Italian), but I took it up a notch with a homemade gremolata topping. Any pasta-loving kid or adult will love the added herby freshness and zing!
To make this easy one-pot creamy pasta, dry pasta and frozen peas are cooked in an aromatic broth until both are warm and tender. Vegan parmesan and the starch in the pasta cooking water make the sauce creamy, while a sprinkling of parsley gremolata on top adds a fresh pop and dances on your tongue.
An easy, one-pot pasta dinner inspired by an Italian classic in just 30 minutes? Yes, please!
What You Need for Vegan Pasta e Piselli
This recipe for pasta and peas requires a short list of pantry staples and fresh ingredients. While classic Italian pasta e piselli isn’t traditionally served with gremolata, I highly recommend taking that extra step to add a burst of refreshing, herbaceous flavor to each bite. This is what you need to put this comfort food together:
- Pasta: a small pasta is the classic choice in pasta e piselli. Ditalini, a tiny pea-sized pasta, is best, but macaroni, orzo, and stelline would work as substitutes.
- Frozen Peas: you know the bag of frozen peas at the back of your freezer? This is the perfect way to use them up! No thawing required.
- Vegan Chicken Broth: a mix of imitation chicken broth and water is the base of the pasta sauce. You can use an equal amount of vegetable broth (store-bought or homemade) as a substitute if vegan chicken broth isn’t available where you live.
- Vegan Parmesan: try to find a high-quality dairy-free parmesan cheese you can grate from a block. This variety usually melts easily into the sauce, making it creamy, cheesy, and rich.
- Gremolata: this popular Italian condiment is made with a mix of fresh chopped herbs, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Parsley is usually the herb of choice, but you can use fresh basil, mint, or a mix of all three! The lemon zest can also be swapped for lime, orange, or grapefruit zest if you’d like to put a fun twist on the hint of citrus.
How to Make Pasta with Peas and Gremolata
- Sauté the onion in a large pot over medium heat until golden. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until they’re fragrant.
- Add the pasta, peas, vegetable broth, and water to the pot. Stir to combine, then heat the mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the pasta is al dente. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the parmesan and black pepper.
- Meanwhile, combine the chopped fresh herbs, lemon zest, and flaky salt in a small bowl to make the gremolata.
- Divide the warm pasta in bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of gremolata. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- If most of the liquid evaporates in the pot, add more water in 1/4 cup increments to make sure the pasta cooks through and the sauce remains silky.
- Taste and adjust the sauce as you go: While the sauce is simmering, give it a taste and add a little salt and pepper to round out the flavors, an extra pinch of red pepper flakes if you like it spicy, a small splash of dry white wine for a tangy pop, and/or another splash of vegan chicken broth to make it extra savory and saucy.
Serving Suggestions
Italian pasta with peas always comes in handy for dinner, whether you need a family-friendly meal in a hurry or when you’re craving comfort food. There’s nothing wrong with serving it on its own (try not to eat it straight from the pot—it’s harder than it looks!) but I personally believe that no pasta dinner is complete without some bread on the side. This dish is particularly saucy, so I’d highly recommend having a few slices of this Italian Herbs & Cheese Bread, baked vegan garlic bread, or this Sun-Dried Tomato Bread on the side to soak up every drop.
Need a few side dishes to round out the meal? Pair the creamy pasta with this Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad and these 15-Minute Garlic Green Beans for a wholesome but still comforting dinner.
If you’re looking for more easy vegan pasta recipes, you’ll also love this Pantry Tahini Pasta with Chickpeas, this Easy One-Pot Pasta, and this Vegan One-Pot Pasta Primavera!
How to Store Peas and Pasta
This pasta dish is best enjoyed as soon as it’s ready since it’s a little more saucy and brothy than most.
If you do end up with leftovers, wait for them to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. The pasta and peas will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended.
Remember that the small pasta noodles will absorb the sauce and become slightly mushier over time, but will still taste good. To make the pasta saucy again, reheat the leftovers in a saucepan with a splash of water or broth. Warm over medium heat on the stovetop until the sauce has loosened and you have a creamy pasta dish again.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Make this with gluten-free ditalini pasta or another small gluten-free pasta.
- Vegan Parmesan Substitute: You can replace the vegan parmesan with 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast or omit it from the recipe altogether. Just know that the pasta won’t be quite as cheesy!
- Optional Add-Ins: Grate 1 garlic clove into the gremolata for a savory boost, deglaze the pot with a splash of dry white wine for more depth, or cook more bite-sized chopped veggies alongside the aromatics, like carrots, cherry tomatoes, or zucchini.
- Gremolata Substitute: Instead of gremolata, you can top the pasta with a dollop of vegan pesto.
Recipe FAQs
You could make the gremolata with 1/4 cup of dried parsley instead of fresh parsley, but it won’t taste as refreshing. I highly recommend sticking with the fresh herbs!
Both are fresh and zingy herb-based condiments, but they are not the same. Gremolata is an Italian condiment made with parsley (or a mix of herbs), lemon zest, salt, and sometimes oil and garlic. Chimichurri is usually served with Mexican or South American cuisine and is made with fresh parsley (or a mix of herbs), garlic, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and oil.
If you don’t want the sauce to be soupy, start by cooking the pasta and peas in 1 1/2 cups of water and only add more (1 tablespoon at a time) if the pasta is absorbing the liquid too fast. You can also try mashing or pureeing some of the peas to thicken the consistency.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Pasta with Peas and Herb Gremolata
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion fine dice
- 1-2 cloves garlic minched
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 8 ounces 225 g ditalini pasta
- 8 ounces 225 g frozen peas
- 1 ½ cups x ml imitation chicken broth
- 1 ½ -2 cups x ml for 1.5 cups water, divided
- 1/2 cup 40g shredded vegan parmesan
- Black pepper to taste
For the Gremolata:
- 1 cup mix of freshly chopped parsley basil, and/or mint
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt
Instructions
- Aromatics: Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed sauté pan or pot. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is golden with brown edges. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and sauté for an additional 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant but before it starts to brown.
- Simmer: Add the pasta, peas, vegetable broth, and 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot. Mix well, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If the pasta needs more water, add it to the pan in 1/4 cup (60 ml) increments.
- Finishing Touches: Turn the heat to low and add the parmesan and black pepper to taste; stir until the parmesan has melted and a thicker sauce forms.
- Gremolata: Add the fresh herbs, lemon zest, and flaky salt to a small bowl. Mix well.
- Serve & Store: Divide the pasta between plates or bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of gremolata. Serve warm; this recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free ditalini, or another smaller gf pasta shape.
- Pasta: If you cannot find ditalini pasta, I recommend using another smaller pasta shape like macaroni.
After a long day I wanted something tasty but that didn’t take that much effort. This fit the bill perfectly. Instead of imitation chicken broth I made it with regular vegetable broth and orecchiette pasta (it is what I had in my cupboard) and it was still delicious. I used parsley, basil and mint in the gremolata, along with grated garlic. This will definitely be put into the rotation.
So happy you enjoyed, Sarah!
This looks great, I’ll definitely be trying it! Just commenting to let you know I noticed “broccoli” listed on the ingredients photo which I assume is leftover from editing 🙂
Heads up that the gram for peas and pasta stays the same when changing to 2x or 3x 😔 Unfortantly I noticed it far too late, and even after draining the dish as mush as I could it still stayed super runny and not creamy at all. But it still tasted fine and I will probably try it again one day, and double check the measurements.
Sorry to hear about the mishap, Elias! I hope it works out better next time.
Love this simple gremolata recipe! I used basil and it was perfect. The pasta was a hit with the kids, they even had an extra serving! Love your recipes; I share them with anyone interested!!
So happy to hear this, Bri!
Love this simple gremolata recipe! I used basil and it was perfect.