Power Pasta of the Gods with Peas and Parsley

Legend has it that before battle Hercules would stride into his kitchen and whip up a plate of this pasta to fuel his heroics. Since it was practically ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta, it meant he never missed the start of a battle and firmly secured his place in the history books. This recipe has been made in collaboration with HelloFresh.

An easy vegetarian spaghetti recipe from HelloFresh

You know what – I absolutely love moving house. I really do. It’s a great opportunity to declutter and start again from scratch.

My new kitchen has a gas hob, something I’ve rarely cooked on before, so it’s a learning experience for me. Even something as simple as sauteing onions has to be relearned – how hot does the flame need to be? How is the heat distributed in my pan? I’m used to just picking a number on my old electric hob; cooking on gas involves a lot more thought – a bit like driving a manual/standard compared to an automatic. I’m getting there though.

As such, my very first recipe post photographed in my new kitchen (check out that countertop!) is a fairly simple one brought to you from the team at HelloFresh, the UK’s largest recipe box company.

This power pasta of the gods with peas & parsley is super simple to make. By the time your pasta is done cooking the sauce is ready – dinner from scratch in less than twenty minutes!

Ingredients (for two – can easily be scaled up)

• 220 grams of wheat spaghetti
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small red chilli
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh peas
• 2.5 tbsp creme fraiche
• 2 tbsp Italian style hard cheese
• 1/2 lemon
• salt & pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil 

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Equipment

• large pot
• frying pan
• strainer
• chopping board
• kitchen knife
• wooden spoon

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook spaghetti for 10 minutes, or until ‘al dente’. Reserve a ladleful of the pasta water for the sauce.

2. Toast your pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat without any oil. Don’t turn your back on them or they will burn!

3. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Chop the chilli in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and finely chop. Roughly chop the parsley.

4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute the onion for about five minutes, until it begins to soften.

5. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further two minutes.

6. Add the peas and 3 tbsp of the reserved pasta water from Step 1. Cook for around five minutes or until the peas are cooked to your liking.

7. Stir in the creme fraiche, toasted pine nuts and half of the grated hard cheese. Season well with salt and pepper, and squeeze in the lemon juice.

8. Stir in the drained spaghetti. Toss well to coat with the sauce. Serve your power pasta with plenty of chopped parsley and the remaining grated hard cheese.

Tips for making this easy vegetarian power pasta recipe

• Use less chilli if you prefer your dish to be milder in flavour, or, if you’re a chilli fiend like me, use plenty!
• Leftovers reheat very well. Simply store any leftovers in your fridge until needed, then reheat in a dry pan over medium heat until piping hot.
• Cooking pasta ‘al dente’ means that the pasta still retains some texture after cooking. It’s got a bit of solid bite in it, although it’s cooked through. 
• Adding salt to the pasta water raises the cooking temperature of the water, making it cook better, and it infuses the pasta with flavour. 
• Don’t be tempted to ignore your pine nuts when they are toasting – keep stirring them as they will burn quickly. Remove them from the pan as soon as they are the right colour to stop the cooking process.

About HelloFresh

HelloFresh is the UK’s largest recipe box company delivering delicious ingredients and simple recipes straight to your doorstep each week. You are in control of what is delivered: you can choose how many people you are cooking for (2-4 people), what kind of recipes you’d like to make (from easy to more difficult; this power pasta is one of their easy recipes), and how many meals per week you’d like (3-5). 

Prices start from as little as £3.44 per person.

To find out more visit the HelloFresh website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Click here to get 10% off your first order!

Have you tried HelloFresh before? Let us know what you thought in the comments!

Power Pasta of the Gods with Peas and Parsley

Ready in just 20 minutes, this mid-week meal of pasta, peas, parsley & creme fraiche is fit for Hercules himself!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 595kcal

Author: Elizabeth

Cost: £3.44

Ingredients

Metric - US Cup Measures

• ▢ 220 grams dried spaghetti
• ▢ 1 tbsp pine nuts
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 0.5 brown onion
• ▢ 1 garlic clove
• ▢ 1/2 fresh red chilli to taste
• ▢ 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
• ▢ 50 grams fresh garden peas
• ▢ 2.5 tbsp crème fraiche
• ▢ 2 tbsp Grana Padano cheese
• ▢ sea salt to taste
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Affiliate Links

This recipe card may contain affiliate ingredient and equipment links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment

stockpot

strainer

frying pan

chopping board

knife

wooden spoon

Instructions 

• Bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook spaghetti for 10 minutes, or until ‘al dente’. Reserve a ladleful of the pasta water for the sauce.
  
  
• Toast your pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat without any oil. Don’t turn your back on them or they will burn!
  
  
• Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Chop the chilli in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and finely chop. Roughly chop the parsley.
  
  
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute the onion for about five minutes, until it begins to soften.
  
  
• Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further two minutes.
  
  
• Add the peas and 3 tbsp of the reserved pasta water from Step 1. Cook for around five minutes or until the peas are cooked to your liking.
  
  
• Stir in the creme fraiche, toasted pine nuts and half of the grated hard cheese. Season well with salt and pepper, and squeeze in the lemon juice.
  
  
• Stir in the drained spaghetti. Toss well to coat with the sauce. Serve with plenty of chopped parsley and the remaining grated hard cheese.
  
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1625IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 3mg

Environmental Information

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This is a sponsored recipe brought to you in collaboration with HelloFresh. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.