Flavorful and easy to make, this 30-minute, One Pot Pasta with Peas and Kielbasa recipe will be loved by everyone.
This is the first recipe my mom shared with me since she moved to Italy. She said it was her favorite. It didn't take a long time for this recipe to become my favorite too. Of course, I made my own alternations. 🙂
In Italy this dish is called Pasta e Piselli and it is usually made with Pancetta (Italian cured pork belly). As much as I like Pancetta, it is difficult to find and it's quite expensive. I found that this dish tastes INCREDIBLE when cooked with Kielbasa or even regular smoked ham instead of Pancetta.
The choice of pasta is pretty important in this recipe, so let's take a moment to talk about that. You'll need ditalini pasta, which is a type of pasta that is shaped like small tubes. It is sold in every major supermarket, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding it. Just look around in the pasta aisle and I am sure you’ll find it there. The reason ditalini pasta works so well in this dish is that it is the same size as peas and chopped ham, which allows the flavors to be distributed evenly. Plus, it is very easy to eat with a spoon.
You may be tempted to substitute frozen peas with canned ones. While it is OK to do so, I strongly encourage you to use frozen peas. They taste so much better.
Lastly, try to find a good quality Parmesan cheese because, because it is SO TASTY!
That's it, no more tips. Let's start cooking!
I really hope you'll enjoy this wonderful dish. Please, share your feedback in the comments section.
Have a wonderful day, friends!
PASTA WITH PEAS AND KIELBASA
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup diced kielbasa
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 3 cups chicken stock or water (see note)
- 4 bay leaves
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- Parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
- In a medium sauce-pan, sauté the carrots in olive oil on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add kielbasa and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Add ditalini, chicken stock, peas and bay leaves and cook for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is almost evaporated.
- Stir in the parsley and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Jill says
Very quick and easy recipe! Used turkey sausage kielbasa as that is what I had. Read the comments and tried it with the red pepper and onion but no parsley. Definitely will make this again! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Tania Sheff says
Thank you, Jill!
Joyce G says
Made this last night. I put a photo on Pinterest. Didn't have kielbasa, but used some Smoked Chicken Andouille that I had. YUM!!!!!! I will definitely make it again! Thank you for such an easy and flavorful dish!
Tania Sheff says
Thank you, Joyce! This is one of my favorite dishes. 🙂
Chrissy says
Do you boil the pasta separately first?
Tania says
Hi Chrissy! Nope. Just add the uncooked pasta with chicken stock and it'll cook all together. Thanks!
Dana says
I just made this tonight and it was very good. I doubled the recipe, added onion and red bell pepper and served it with homemade mozzarella biscuits. Perfect on this chilly night. Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe. I'm definitely going to make it again.
Tania says
Thanks, Dana! I am glad you enjoyed it! 🙂