Pasta fatigue is real. Heat the water to boiling. Throw away the noodles. You clear them. If you do this over and over again, you’ll be staring blankly at your kitchen counter and wondering why dinner feels like work.
There is a way out. It’s not complicated. You just need a few extra ingredients and a way to layer and change the flavor. Enter the pea paste. This is not your average Tuesday night carb count. It is very practical. It fills up. Fair? It saves one night.
This recipe serves 8 people. This may sound like a big deal, but I want to be clear. Leftovers is a feature, not a bug. You can freeze some. You can feed a large number of people. You can eat it for lunch the next day without feeling guilty.
List of ingredients
You don’t need a pantry full of exotic spices. You need the basics. This is exactly what you need for this batch:
- 1 package of pasta (any short shape will do, but the tubes hold the sauce better)
- 1 cup of peas
- 2 medium sized onions
- 1 bunch of dill
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Keep it simple. If there are onions. If you have potatoes. If there are peas. You can go.
Prepare step by step
Let’s start with water. Prepare a large pot. Fill 5 glasses with water. Bring to a boil. Don’t rush. I want to cook pasta later.
Prepare the vegetables while hot. Clean the pea cup. Pick the bad ones. Treat yourself here. Bad peas can ruin the composition. Peel and wash both potatoes. Cut them into cubes. It’s not a small dice. It’s not a big piece. medium cube. It should be cooked so that it does not become sticky.
Chop 2 onions. small pieces. You want it to melt in the dish later without leaving a crunchy surprise.
When the water boils, add the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. This is the first layer of flavor. Don’t skip the salt.
Now another pot. Or if you want to be more efficient, can you add the potatoes and peas directly to the pasta water? No, that’s a bad idea. Overcook the pasta before the potatoes are cooked.
Put the pasta in boiling salted water instead. In a separate pot (use the same pot if you drain the pasta first, but the timing is risky) add the potatoes and peas. Cover with enough water to soak them. Cook until done.
This separation is key. The pasta only takes a few minutes to cook. Potatoes last longer. If you cook them together, you end up with chewy potatoes (unlikely) or sticky pasta (sad).
Drain the potatoes and peas. Should I reserve water for cooking? No, drain the pasta completely. This dish calls for dried noodles.
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Add chopped onion. Bake. Listen to that hissing sound. Cook until soft and translucent. This is where the scent begins.
Now put it together. Add the drained potatoes and peas to the pan with the onions. Stir. Let’s warm up together. Brush the vegetables with oil. Onions give the mixture sweetness.
Prepare a large mixing bowl. This is your presentation area.
Layer the pasta. Put half the drained pasta in a bowl.
Spread the potato-pea mixture on top