Adam Liaw’s mac 𝄒n𝄒 peas
Traditional pasta e piselli dishes often involve cooking the peas until they are very soft, starting to brown and becoming quite savoury. I prefer them a little more fresh to give a pop of sweetness to the dish.
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely minced
2 cups frozen peas
1 litre vegetable stock
500g ditalini, macaroni or other very short pasta
100g grated parmesan cheese
black pepper, to season
Method
Step 1
Heat a large saucepan over low-medium heat and add the olive oil and onion. Fry the onion for about 6 minutes until fragrant and starting to brown. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the frozen peas.
Step 2
Fry for about 2 minutes, then add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente. There should still be a very little bit of liquid around the pasta. Stir through the parmesan, season with black pepper, then serve. The finished dish should be the texture of risotto.
Adam’s tip: The reason vegetarian pastas work so well for meat-eaters is usually cheese. Meat and cheese are high in umami – savoury tastes that help us feel satisfied. With a non-meat cheesy pasta, those umami tastes remain.
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
