Macaroni and Peas in Red Sauce
If you're Italian-American and grew up eating macaroni and peas in red sauce like me, this dish is probably more like nostalgia in a bowl than anything else.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup yellow onion peeled and sliced julienne or diced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided (¼ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 and ½ cups tomato sauce about 1 and ½ 8-ounce cans
- 1 and ½ cups frozen peas (Note 1)
- 2 cups water (Note 2)
- 8 ounces small or medium pasta shells
- Ground black pepper
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook the onions until soft and translucent but not brown, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic powder, tomato sauce, and peas, and simmer with the onions for 1 minute while stirring.
- Pour in the water, pasta, and ½ teaspoon salt, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot partially with a lid, and cook until the pasta absorbs most of the liquid and is al dente, about 15 minutes.
- If the pasta needs more cooking time and there isn't enough liquid, pour in an additional ½ to 1 cup of water and simmer for a few more minutes before removing from the heat.
- Add ground black pepper, and taste for salt, adding more if needed.
- Serve the pasta and peas topped with grated Pecorino and some extra ground black pepper, if desired.
Notes
Note 1: You can defrost the peas if you want, but it's not necessary.
Note 2: If you want a soupier dish, add 2 and ½ to 3 cups of water. You may need to add more salt if you do this.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 852mg | Potassium: 536mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!