Bright pasta with lemon cream, peas, and spinach. Vegetarian Italian, fast and fresh for spring meals.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz linguine or fettuccine
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
03 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
04 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
→ Lemon Cream Sauce
05 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Freshly ground black pepper
14 - Additional lemon zest
# Directions:
01 - Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt. Add linguine or fettuccine and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
03 - Pour in heavy cream. Add lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes.
04 - Stir in green peas and simmer: cook 2–3 minutes for fresh peas, or 1–2 minutes for frozen, until just tender.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add drained pasta, spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and chives. Toss to coat evenly. Gradually add reserved pasta water until sauce is silky and clings to noodles.
06 - Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan, lemon zest, and freshly ground black pepper.
