The complexity of this dish comes from the tangles of pillow-soft pasta, the bright pop of the peas and the vitality of the fresh herbs. Each bite lifts you with tangy-lemony-flavors and salty-feta-goodness.
By Jill Nammar
Mint and dill pair well with the feta for a classic Greek/Eastern Mediterranean combination. You could easily swap them out for your favorite fresh herbs. You’ll know that summertime is here with this light and perky pasta recipe.
Lemony Pasta with Fresh Herbs and Feta
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
The complexity of this dish comes from the tangles of pillow-soft pasta, the bright pop of the peas and the vitality of the fresh herbs. Each bite lifts you with tangy-lemony-flavors and salty-feta-goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound fresh pasta. I used fresh angel hair. But, dried angel hair pasta, shells or orzo are good choices too.
- Extra Virgin olive oil for cooking. I used unfiltered.
- 1 generous cup of frozen peas
- Generous handfuls of mint, dill and parsley, chopped
- 3–4 large scallions, diced
- Zest and juice of one large lemon
- 4 ounces of crumbled feta. I used imported cow’s milk feta.
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- To Serve: Toasted pine nuts, fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Be careful to not overcook fresh pasta as it gets mushy and very sticky quickly. It takes mere minutes to cook. Add the peas to the pasta water toward the end of cooking. The peas should take seconds to cook and stay bright green. You want the peas to have a pop and a fresh, grassy flavor.
- Meanwhile, use kitchen scissors or a knife to chop the fresh herbs and scallions, putting them into a large bowl. Add the zest of one lemon, a little salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to the herbs. When the pasta and peas are done, put them in the bowl with the herbs and scallions. Drizzle more olive oil over the top, add the juice of one lemon and the crumbled feta cheese and pepper to taste. Toss everything together. Alternatively, you can save the feta to sprinkle on each individual serving, which is the way I like it. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with some flaky sea salt and toasted pine nuts if you please. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main
