Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions #SundaySupper

Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions is an easy recipe celebrating spring with two spring vegetables, peas and sweet onions. Pecorino Romano cheese adds great flavor and ties the pasta dish together. Read on for details, or click here to jump down to the recipe.

I am ready for spring! Though we can’t complain much about our winter in New England this year, spring weather has been slow to come. But the temperature is gradually creeping up, and hopefully we won’t have any more baseball games snowed out.

Making and eating food that is a harbinger of the spring season is one way to appreciate it. So I’m appreciative of Shelby from Grumpy’s Honey Bunch for hosting today’s Sunday Supper event celebrating spring.

Today we are sharing our spring recipe for Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions. The dish features peas, an early arriving vegetable, and the sweet onions that start rolling into the grocery stores around the time the calendar changes to spring.

This pasta recipe is easy to get on the table in under 30 minutes. As the pasta cooks, the onions get caramelized to enhance their natural sweetness. The peas get added to cook along with the caramelized onions, then this mixture is tossed with the orecchiette and pecorino cheese. If you’re not familiar with orecchiette, it is a pasta shape that resembles a small ear. Orecchiette is just the right size to catch some of the peas. You could use other short pasta shapes here, but if you can find orecchiette I encourage you to use it.

I love the rich salty flavor that Pecorino Romano cheese brings to this dish. The recipe calls for more cheese than I would typically add, but adding a bit more really founds out the flavors, as the savory cheese balances the sweet onions.

Wine for Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions

A medium to full bodied white wine is a good choice for Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions. There are a lot of good Italian whites that would qualify. For fun you could choose a wine made from the Pecorino grape–that’s right, Pecorino is a wine grape varietal as well as the name of a cheese. But there are many other good Italian whites that would go with this, such as a Soave or perhaps a Vermentino.

Though Italy is a natural choice for a pasta wine pairing, we wound up choosing a white Rhone blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Vermentino, and that worked nicely too.

Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy this dish and some good spring weather!

Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions Recipe

5.0 from 1 reviews

Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Orecchiette tossed with peas, pecorino cheese and sautéed onions for a tasty spring meal.

Author: Cooking Chat

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, sliced thinly
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup peas (thawed if using frozen)
• ½ tsp tarragon
• ½ tsp marjoram (or oregano if you'd prefer)
• ¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
• 12 ozs orecchiette or other short pasta shape
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Cook until the onions start to brown and caramelize, at least 10 minutes. If you have time, let the onions go until they are nice and caramelized.
2. Start cooking the pasta according to package instructions after the onions have been cooking for a few minutes.
3. Add the peas to the onions, along with another tablespoon olive oil and the tarragon and marjoram. Stir to combine, and cover the skillet. Lower heat to cook on medium low for about 5 minutes.
4. When the pasta is done to your liking, drain it, then toss immediately with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil onion/pea mixture. Next stir in the cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Plate and serve, passing additional cheese at the table.

3.2.2885

Sunday Supper Spring Recipes

Be sure to check out all the tasty recipes from the #SundaySupper crew!

Breakfast:

• Chicken Sausage, Apple and Cheddar Breakfast Bake by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Chive and Cheese Quiche by An Appealing Plan
• Lavender Scones by Feeding Big and More
• Raspberry Lemon Baked Donuts by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Matcha Donuts by The Ninja Baker
• Whole Wheat Lemon Berry Coffee Cake with Lemon Glaze by A Mindful Mom

Appetizers:

• Artichoke Lemon Hummus by Food Done Light
• Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart by Baking Sense
• Butter Lettuce and Spring Radish Salad by Hardly A Goddess
• Ceviche with Potato and Pea Shoot Salad by Caroline’s Cooking
• Roasted Strawberry Popsicles by Brunch-n-Bites
• Rustic Wrapped Tart with Ramps by Delaware Girl Eats

Beverages:

• An Unconventional Mojito by Monica’s Table
• Caribbean Cream Cocktail by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Cucumber Grapefruit Basil Mojito by The Crumby Cupcake
• Limoncello Raspberry Sangria by Eat, Drink and Be Tracy
• Spiced Rhubarb Champagne Cocktail by Hezzi-D Books and Cooks
• Vanilla Lavender Limeade by The Tip Toe Fairy
• Very Berry Springtime Spritzer by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Violet Hour by Wholistic Woman

Main Dish:

• Cheese Tortellini with Herbed Ricotta and Fava Beans by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Gnocchi Primavera with Spring Asparagus and Peas by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Levantine Fattoush Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• One Pan Spicy Lemon Chicken with Tomatoes by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions by Cooking Chat you are here!
• Pasta with Peas by Manu’s Menu
• Pesto Shrimp and Zoodles Oh My! by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Ramp and Mushroom Frittata by Pies and Plots
• Spring Lamb Skewers with Roasted Baby Carrots by Food Lust People Love
• Spring Salad with Scallops and Strawberry Vinaigrette by My World Simplified
• Veggie Pasta Primavera by Momma’s Meals

Side Dish:

• Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Rhubarb Salad by The Texan New Yorker
• Green Peas with Onion and Bacon by Magnolia Days
• Minty Pea Farro Spring Salad by She Loves Biscotti
• Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Dessert:

• Amazing Coconut Cake by A Baking Legacy
• Berry and Honey Whipped Ricotta by Family Foodie
• Caramelized Black Figs and Walnuts with Mascarpone by Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
• Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Colorado Crème by Cooking on the Ranch
• Honey Blossoms by Get the Good Stuff!
• Hot Milk Sponge Cake by Hey What’s for Dinner Mom?
• Lemon Scented Choux with Rhubarb Ginger Pastry Cream by The Finer Cookie
• Meyer Lemon Bars by The Chef Next Door
• No-Bake Berry Greek Yogurt Pie by An Italian in my Kitchen
• Rhubarb Meringue Pie by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Spring Cookie Bouquet by The Freshman Cook
• Strawberry Cheesecake Puffs by Moore or Less Cooking
• Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream by Tramplingrose
• Strawberry Moscato Sorbet by Seduction in the Kitchen
• The Black Beast by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Plus Spring Vegetable Minestrone and more Spring Recipes from Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

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