Lemon & Pepper Alfredo Pasta Shells with Peas
A creamy Alfredo sauce recipe gets a tasty hit of Spring and some zest with lemon and pepper in this Lemon Pepper Alfredo Pasta Shells with Peas recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 small-medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp salted butter (if unsalted butter is used add 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (preferably fresh grated), plus more for serving
- 1 lbs (454 grams) large pasta shells (not jumbo)
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, optional*
Instructions
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Cook pasta as per package instructions and with 1 minute left in the cooking time add peas to the pot. Drain, saving pasta, peas and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
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In the same pot over med-low heat, add 3/4 cup of cream and stir in garlic, butter, salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 min, being sure not to let it boil.Add remaining cream to sauce, then lemon zest and juice, and parmesan. Stir and let simmer for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
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Pour sauce into empty pasta pot and add in cooked pasta and peas. Stir to fully coat pasta and peas.
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Dish into bowls and top with parsley, more parmesan and black pepper if desired.
Recipe Notes
* Parsley is a power house food. It contains a serious punch of Vitamin C, iron, fibre, and calcium amongst other essentail vitamin and minerals. I try to work it into dishes for my kids as often as I can so that they (a) gain exposure to it, and (b) through that exposure like it. While I've marked the parsley as optional here, it's not really tasted through the alfredo sauce and I'd suggest giving it a go.