The Princess and The Pea

That’d be my mom.  She never slept on forty mattresses, and she didn’t marry anyone royal (unless my dad is hiding something from us!), but she’s really sensitive to peas.

 

When we were young, Mom told us multiple horror stories of childhood dinners where she wasn’t allowed to leave the table until she finished her peas, and she would sit there for hours, staring at the little evil green balls.  She didn’t want to put us through the same scarring experience, so she rarely, if ever, served them.  Later, Mom discovered that she was allergic, and she immediately called her mother to gloat about how she’d never have to finish her peas ever again!   

 

 

When I finally rediscovered peas after leaving home, I realized they weren’t all that bad.  It was probably Mom’s allergy that fueled her hatred, but since I haven’t come down with any weird rashes or a swollen tongue after eating peas, I’m working on incorporating them into more of my meals.  Once I get the hang of pea flavors, I’ll get a little more adventurous, but for now, here’s a simple pasta.

 

 

Easy Pea-sy Pasta

serves 1

Serve in a bowl (and with a spoon too!) since the sauce is quite thin.

dry spaghetti

⅓ c. frozen peas

¼ c. plus 1 tbsp milk, divided

¼ tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil over medium-high heat.  Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat 1-2 tsp olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add peas and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until peas are heated through and slightly soft.  Remove peas from pan and set aside with spaghetti.
3. Turn heat down to low, and add ¼ c. milk, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes.  In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and remaining 1 tbsp milk together.  Add to milk in pan and continue stirring for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add pasta, peas, and Parmesan to pan.  Stir to combine.  Generously season with salt and pepper, pour in a bowl, and sprinkle with extra Parmesan.  Serve immediately.