Peas to Penne
From the Strive for Five at School! Resources
Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray at http://www.rachaelraymag.com
Preheat oven to 350°F
1 – 9” x 13” pan
Yield: 12
Portion: 3/4 cup (175 mL)
Cost per serving: $0.44
Ingredients
1 lb (454 g) penne pasta, whole-wheat
3/4 lb (400 g) peas, frozen
2 tbsp (30 mL) Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil
1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh basil or 1 tbsp (15 mL) dried basil
1/2 tbsp (7 mL) lemon zest (wash the lemon well)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) light cheddar cheese, grated
1 Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package. Cook only to the al dente stage (firm but not hard) and drain, reserving 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the cooking water.
2 In a food processor, purée the peas with the Parmesan cheese, oil, basil, and lemon zest. The mixture should be coarsely chopped. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a pot.
3 Stir the reserved pasta cooking water into the pea mixture.
4 Place the cooked pasta in the pan, add the pea mixture, and toss to combine.
5 Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
NOTE: 1 tsp (5 mL) of low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth may be added to the reserved pasta water, however this will increase the sodium content of the recipe.
Tip: This pasta and peas combination makes a complete meal and would go well with a salad.
