Dr Mobeus
Pasta with Peas and Mint
Pasta with peas and mint is proof that simple food is often the best food. With just a handful of cheap ingredients – dried pasta, frozen peas, a bit of cheese and some mint – you can have a proper dinner on the table in under 15 minutes.
The trick is using the pasta cooking water to create a glossy sauce that coats every piece. The starch in the water emulsifies with the cheese and oil to make something that feels far more luxurious than the ingredient list suggests.
Frozen peas are one of the best value items in any supermarket. A 900g bag costs around £1.20 and lasts for multiple meals. Combined with budget dried pasta at about 70p for 500g, this dish comes in at roughly 40p per portion.
Pasta with Peas and Mint
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Tip in the frozen peas and 100ml of the pasta cooking water. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the peas are tender.
- Drain the pasta, reserving another 100ml of cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the pea mixture along with the mint and half the cheese.
- Toss everything together, adding splashes of pasta water until you get a light sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with the remaining cheese.
Tips and Variations
If you have fresh mint in the garden, use double the quantity as it is much more fragrant than dried. Any hard cheese works here – cheddar, parmesan or even a bit of leftover Lancashire. For a creamier version, stir in a tablespoon of cream cheese or natural yoghurt at the end.
