Pasta 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.
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What makes this recipe work
Making and eating food that is a harbinger of the spring season is one way to appreciate it. This pasta recipe 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 recipe was originally published with the title Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions as part of a Sunday Supper event celebrating spring, hosted by Shelby from Grumpy’s Honey Bunch.
Orecchiette is a short, shell like pasta shape that works well with this recipe. But you can use other short shapes for this recipe, such as elbow macaroni. So now we are going with the broader title, Pasta with Peas, Pecorino and Onions, so you don’t need to feel locked into using orecchiette.
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.
Recipe tips and overview
This is a simple recipe with just a few main ingredients – peas, pasta, Pecorino Romano Cheese and onions.
There’s flexibility in terms of substitutions, which we cover in the FAQ section and in the recipe card. But I typically make this recipe with frozen peas and Vidalia onions.
This pasta recipe is easy to get on the table in under 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet, then add the onions and sauté. Start boiling water for pasta and cook according to package instructions as you start the onions.
After the onions get soft and start to brown, you can add the butter, if using.
After caramelizing the onions, stir in the peas along with the extra tablespoon of olive oil, plus the dried tarragon and marjoram.
Cover and cook on medium low for 5 minutes. Add the spinach toward the end of the 5 minutes, if using.
After cooking the peas for 5 minutes, you are ready to combine with the pasta.
Stir in the pasta along with a ¼ cup of reserved cooking water. Next, stir in the cheese, and you are ready to serve and enjoy!
For another delicious pasta recipe, try our Creamy Roasted Acorn Squash Pasta recipe.
Pasta with Peas FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Orecchiette is a small, ear-shaped pasta that originates from the Puglia region in southern Italy. The name comes from the Italian word “orecchio,” meaning “ear.” Its shape is great for holding sauces and small vegetables like peas.
You can also other short shapes such as elbow macaroni or shells.
If you don’t have Pecorino Romano, try Parmesan cheese for a similar salty, nutty flavor. I often substitute Parmesan for Pecorino, and vice versa. You could also use Grana Padano or Asiago.
Wine pairing
A medium to full bodied white wine is a good choice for Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions.
Murrieta’s Well Sauvignon Blanc
We had an excellent pairing for the most recent version of our Pasta with Peas and Pecorino!
The 2023 Murrieta’s Well Sauvignon Blanc ($19, 14.5% ABV) come from Mel Vineyard in California’s Livermore Valley. The bottle notes that Mel Vineyard was started with cuttings from Chateau d’Yquem! I had this bottle along with several others from Wente Vineyards in conjunction with my podcast interview with Aly Wente.
This Sauvignon Blanc has some salinity on the nose – I recall Aly talking about how Livermore Valley gets the breezes coming off San Francisco Bay. On the palate, I get lemon curd and a bit of acid. This wine is more mellow than some Sauvignon Blancs; there’s a softness to the mouthfeel.
The fruit forward aspect of this Sauvignon Blanc makes it work really well with this pasta with peas dish. The caramelized Vidalia onions bring a little sweetness to the dish, that combines nicely with the salty aspect of the Pecorino cheese. This combination makes for an excellent pairing that I highly recommend!
Other wine pairing options
There are a lot of good Italian whites that would qualify as good pairings to choose for this recipe. 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, the first time we made this recipe, we opened a white Rhone blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Vermentino. That was a good pairing, too!
Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy this dish and some good spring weather!
Recipe card
Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions
Orecchiette tossed with peas, pecorino cheese and sautéed onions for a tasty spring meal.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, sliced thinly
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup peas (thawed if using frozen)
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon (or fresh if you have some!)
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram (or oregano if you’d prefer)
- ¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
- handful baby spinach (optional)
- 12 ozs orecchiette or other short pasta shape
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 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. If you want to add the optional tablespoon of butter, add it after the onions have softened.
- Start cooking the pasta according to package instructions after the onions have been cooking for a few minutes.
- 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. If you are using spinach, add the spinach after cooking the peas and onions on low for 5 minutes.
- 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.
Notes
- Type of onion to use: Vidalia onions have a delicious sweetness to them. If you don’t have Vidalia’s, other sweet onions would work (e.g. Walla Walla or Texas sweet), or a basic yellow onion.
- Optional butter: Adding a tablespoon of butter to the sautéed onions provides additional depth of flavor. We originally made the recipe without the butter, that certainly works.
- Spinach or other greens: If you have some extra baby spinach or other quick cooking greens on hand, you can add for extra flavor and color.
The Finer Cookie/Kim
I know what you mean by the long winter in New England. Today is simply delightful and the first real day that promises no more winter! Orecchiette is one of my favourite pastas because it’s so chewy, but I’m also eyeing that cold glass of white wine. It’s almost noon.
Cooking Chat
good to hear from a fellow New Englander!
Meaghan
Yum! I can not wait till fresh peas arrive at my local markets to try your pasta recipe. Seriously it looks SOOOO good!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Meaghan!
Hezzi-D
This is just lovely and I have all the ingredients on hand! I was actually just asking what I could possibly make with marjoram and here’s my answer!
Cooking Chat
good timing!
Renee @ReneesKitchenAdventures
Delicious. Hand me a glass of wine and a fork and I’d be all set!
Cooking Chat
wine does make it even better!
Catherine
Dear David, what a fantastic meal! This looks good…perfect for busy weeknights. Take care, Catherine
Eileen
This looks like the perfect light spring dinner. I love that you give wine recommendations as well. Thanks!
Christie
So simple, yet packed with delicious flavors. Can’t wait to try it.