This pasta and peas dish with Italian sausage is packed with lots of delicious flavor and is one the whole family will love. The quick to make recipe is ready in less 30 minutes.
The challenge was real. And I am always up for a challenge. Just as long as the task involves cooking. It was not unlike my daunting homework assignment in 8th grade Home Economics. Prepare a dinner for 4 using ground beef, potatoes, and ketchup for $4.25. What?! Fortunately, my latest mission was not so ingredient and cost restrictive.
"Can you make a super delicious pasta dish that doesn't have a tomato sauce, isn't creamy, and one my kids will love as well as my husband and I?" requested one of my personal chef clients.
"I'm up for the challenge." I responded.
I immediately started racking my brain for the perfect pasta recipe. One that checked all the boxes of my client's pasta wishes. My pasta and peas recipe is one such dish.
Shell pasta is tossed in a light chicken stock based sauce with smoky caramelized onions, Italian sausage and sweet green peas. Parmesan cheese adds lots of rich flavor without making the sauce creamy. This pasta recipe is a winner!
gather the ingredients
My take on the traditional pasta and peas (aka pasta e piselli) is super charged with many flavorful ingredients.
- shell pasta
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- sweet Italian sausage
- white wine
- reduced sodium chicken stock
- frozen peas
- Parmesan cheese
- salted butter
- fresh parsley
- lemon juice
how to make pasta and peas
Even on the busiest of days, this pasta and peas recipe is totally doable. As the shells cook, the sauce is made. Dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes.
Start by cooking the pasta. While it is cooking make the easy sauce. It really is simple. Sauté onions until just barely caramelized. Then add garlic and bite sized pieces of sweet Italian sausage and cook until nice and crispy brown.
The simmered sauce is super silky and rich from buttery Chardonnay, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese. Toss in a bag of frozen peas. They are one of my go to easy and tasty veggies to add a pop of bright green to pasta dishes.
Stir in a knob of butter then the cooked pasta. The sauce just so velvety that it coats each and every pasta shell. Add a big squeeze of lemon juice to brighten everything up.
Sprinkle the whole pan of pasta and peas with fresh parsley and shaved Parmesan cheese. I use a peeler to slice shards of cheese off a big wedge.
This is perfect for those nights when you want a delicious dinner in no time at all.
substitutions and tips
- Whimsical shell pasta is perfect for catching the little green peas. But substitute your favorite pasta shape in the recipe.
- Do you like to kick your recipes up a notch? Pick up spicy Italian sausage to a fiery edge to your pasta and peas.
- Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc are my top choices for which wine to use.
- Not a fan of wine? No problem. Use all chicken broth in the sauce.
- Use a peeler to slice shards off a wedge of Parmesan. A touch that makes pasta and peas pretty as a picture. And super delicious too.
- Any leftovers can be stored in an air tight container (these glass storage ones are what I use) for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I love reheating some delish pasta for a quick lunch or dinner as it's a no brainer after a busy day. Reheat in the microwave on 60% power for 2 minutes.
pasta recipes
- Creamy Tomato Pasta ~ the #1 searched pasta recipe on my blog!
- Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach and Ham ~ great recipe for using leftover holiday ham
- One Pot Hearty Lasagna Soup
- Triple Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Pasta with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Peas and Asparagus
just one more thing
Did you make this tasty pasta and peas recipe? I’d love hearing from you if you did! Be sure to leave a comment. Or give this recipe a rating. I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories. I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
recipe
30 Minute Parmesan Pasta and Peas with Sweet Italian Sausage
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This pasta and peas dish with Italian sausage is packed with lots of delicious flavor and is one the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 pound shell pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced, about 2 cups
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, divided
- 10 ounces frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- juice of ½ lemon, about 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large sauté pan over medium heat add the extra virgin olive oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté for about 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Remove the Italian sausage from the casing and add it to the sauté pan. Break the sausage into bite sized pieces with a wooden spatula. Cook the sausage until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the white wine to the sauté pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock to the sauté pan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the peas and butter to the sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the peas are heated and the butter has melted.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir to thoroughly combine it with the sauce.
- Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Serve sprinkled with the parsley and more Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Whimsical shell pasta is perfect for catching the little green peas. But substitute your favorite pasta shape in the recipe.
- Do you like to kick your recipes up a notch? Pick up spicy Italian sausage to a fiery edge to your pasta and peas.
- Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc are my top choices for which wine to use.
- Not a fan of wine? No problem. Use all chicken broth in the sauce.
- Use a peeler to slice shards off a wedge of Parmesan.
- Any leftovers can be stored in an air tight container (these glass storage ones are what I use) for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I love reheating some delish pasta for a quick lunch or dinner as it's a no brainer after a busy day. Reheat in the microwave on 60% power for 2 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: entrée
- Method: cook on stove top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of recipe
- Calories: 694
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 1010 mg
- Fat: 36.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.5 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 146 mg
Anne
Didn't take a picture, but the saucy action on this elevated it WAY beyond the usual casserole. Wonderful and easy.
Amy Casey
That's awesome Anne! I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe. This one is a fave when I'm craving pasta without a creamy sauce.
Kiki Bertucci
This turned out so delicious! I used Sauvignon Blanc, spicy Italian sausage, Campanelle pasta and pecorino Romano cheese because that’s all I had on hand. The flavors together are perfection. Thanks for this, I will be making it for others!
Amy Casey
Sounds delish! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications to the recipe.
LaKita
This pasta is so filling, flavorful, and delicious! Love that it is ready in minutes making it the perfect weeknight meal!
Amy Casey
Thank you LaKita!
Allyssa
Super loved this recipe, so flavorful and easy to make! Great recipe! Highly recommended!
Amy Casey
Thanks Allyssa! My personal chef clients love this one.
Colleen
We loved this pasta dish. I made it with gluten free pasta and it was still delicious. Will make this again!
Anna
What a delicious meal this was! I love how simple and quick it was to make, and it's just one of these comforting and satisfying meals, perfect to feed the whole family!
Moop Brown
This pasta seems like a great weeknight meal that is flavorful and tasty and everyone will enjoy.
Katie Crenshaw
This was such a easy meal to make and it turned out so delicious. I loved the white wine sauce. I will be making again.
Kristina
This is one of my kids favorite dinners. Since they don't always love peas, sometimes I sub canned green beans and it's delicious. Definitely don't use white "cooking" wine, go for the real stuff! It makes a big difference in flavor.
Enri Lemoine
I'm a pasta person, and this Italian sausage pasta with peas is my kind of meal. I made it for dinner last nite, and we all love it! Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration. I can't wait to make it again.
Bernice
This is a mouth watering recipe and it's timely too. I had some of the last summer peas defrosted and wanted to use them up in a pasta dish. My husband and I really enjoyed it for dinner and even had some leftovers for lunch the next day.
Amy Casey
I bet this dish was tasty with your summer peas. And don't you just love a delicious leftover.