Pasta and peas was one of the staple meals my mom made for us growing up. We probably had it at least once a week. She learned the recipe from my grandma Tina, and it was a simple, inexpensive dish to throw together—just pasta and frozen peas cooked with a bit of chicken broth and aromatics topped with grated parm. It’s such a nostalgic, cozy meal from my childhood, and I often find myself making different versions of it. This one is all about the broth: A creamy, rich, Parmesan-fortified chicken broth brings together all the same flavors in a homey elegance. This recipe calls for a hefty number of Parmesan rinds, which many stores now carry on their own, but you can also just save your own rinds in the freezer. I love adding a runny egg on top for a complete meal with a bit more richness. If you have any extra broth left over, it will separate in the fridge, but if you heat it gently on the stove, it will come right back together. You can even blend it again if you feel like it!
Parmesan rinds tend to stick to the bottom of the pan, so stirring the broth every now and then helps mitigate this. Whatever you use to stir the broth will inevitably get some Parmesan stuck to it, which can be a little tricky to clean, but trust me, the broth is very much worth it!
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Parmesan Broth
4
1
1
5
6
12
½
1
2
2
¾
Ditalini and Peas
8
8
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Parmesan Broth
Step 1
Place 4 oz. (113 g) bacon (about 3 thick slices), chopped, in a large pot, set over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon starts to render and brown, 5–6 minutes.
Step 2
Add 1 medium fennel bulb, roughly chopped (fronds and all), 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped, and 5 garlic cloves, smashed, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown and soften, 5–7 minutes.
Step 3
Add 6 cups (1.4 L) unsalted chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or store-bought, 12 oz. (about 2 cups/340 g) Parmesan rinds, ½ bunch (1½ oz./43 g) fresh parsley, 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns, 2 dried bay leaves, and 2 dried shiitake mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Be sure to maintain a bare simmer through the cooking so you don’t boil away your lovely broth!
Step 4
After the broth has simmered for 1 hour, bring another large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Step 5
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Transfer about one-third of the broth to a blender. Add ¾ cup (80 g) finely grated Parmesan and carefully (the mixture will be hot), with the blender vented, blend on low until the Parmesan is emulsified into the broth.
Step 6
Stir the blended broth into the rest of the broth, and keep warm, stirring often to keep it emulsified, while you boil the pasta.
Ditalini and Peas
Step 7
Generously season the boiling water from step 4 with kosher salt, and drop in 8 oz. (227 g) dry ditalini. When the pasta is about 4 minutes from being al dente, drop in 8 oz. (227 g) fresh peas and cook until both the pasta and peas are cooked. If you’re using 8 oz. (227 g) frozen peas, drop them in just 1 minute shy of the pasta being done.
Step 8
Strain the pasta and peas, and return them to the pot. Toss with extra-virgin olive olive oil to coat and then stir in zest of 1 lemon and season with salt.
Step 9
Divide the pasta and peas among serving bowls. Top with the hot Parmesan broth, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper, and more finely grated Parmesan, and serve.
