Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta
Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta is an easy, delicious, and nutritious 6-ingredient plant based pasta dish you can serve for a quick weeknight dinner or food prep to pack for lunch all week long. The original recipe is made with lentil pasta, but you can use any variety you have in your pantry.
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Egg Free
There’s something so comforting about pasta for dinner – it’s warm, cozy, and filling. It’s basically my kinda meal after a long day chasing around a crawling infant!
I often hear from clients that pasta is what I call a “fear food,” meaning it induces fears of weight gain. However, studies repeatedly show that this simply isn’t the case. Think about it… Italians eat pasta several times a week (if not every day), and they have much lower rates of obesity than Americans.
Whether you like pasta made from all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or one of the billion alternatives on the market (like the lentil pasta I used here), feel confident in choosing pasta as a component of your meal.
Pasta contains fiber, protein, and is satisfying (which is KEY!). Stressing over eating pasta is only going to boost inflammation and cause more detrimental health effects!
6 ingredients you’ll need for this Garlicky Pea Pasta…
This Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta couldn’t be easier, made with just 6 ingredients (plus olive oil, salt and pepper).
Lentil Pasta – I chose a hearty pasta for this dish because I like the chewier consistency here, since there’s no meat. Plus, lentil pasta contains 14 grams of protein and 3-7 grams of fiber per serving (depending on the brand). If you are making this dish for meal prep purposes, however, I do recommend a whole wheat pasta or brown rice/quinoa pasta for a gluten free alternative.
Onion and Garlic – These allium vegetables add TONS of flavor, but also pack some hefty health benefits too. We’re often told to “eat the rainbow,” but don’t neglect these white vegetables for anti-inflammatory perks and tons of antioxidants.
Peas – Are peas not the most under-rated vegetable? I count peas as a “starchy vegetable” because they contain more carbohydrates than more water-filled veggies, but they’re loaded with nutritious benefits still. AND 1 cup of peas has 8 grams of protein, so they’re a good source of protein for plant-based eaters.
Nutritional yeast – If you haven’t tried this vegan “cheesy” substitute, I hope you do! Nutritional yeast is a great parmesan substitute in dishes like pasta, soups, salads, and even on top of popcorn. It pairs perfectly in this pasta with peas!
Lemon Zest and Juice – You can’t have lemon garlic pea pasta without tons of lemon flavor from the zest and juice. Don’t skimp on the zest! I use this grater for optimal zest.
How to make this Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta
This simple weeknight pasta dinner couldn’t be easier to make…
Boil water, salt your water, cook your pasta. Seriously, don’t forget to salt the water!!! I heard a chef say your pasta water should be as salty as the ocean. This is because it’s the ONLY chance you have to season the pasta itself.
While your pasta cooks, saute onions and garlic in oil, then add peas, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a bit more olive oil. This is the pan I used, but any heavy-bottomed pan will suffice.
When your pasta is done cooking, add it to the pan with your sauce, and serve. Seriously it’s that easy.
Tips to food prep this Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta
This is a perfect dish to food prep. Pasta holds up really well for a few days. HOWEVER, if you are making this for food prep purposes, I do suggest using a grain-based pasta instead of a bean-based pasta. The lentil or legume-based pastas tend to get rubbery when not eaten fresh.
Use these pastas for food prep purposes:
- Whole wheat pasta
- Brown rice pasta
- Quinoa pasta
Recipe Substitutions
Pasta night in my house is supposed to be EASY. It’s the dish I make when I don’t know what else to make for a quick weeknight dinner. So use what you have on hand…
Pasta – As already mentioned, use any pasta you have in your pantry. If you’re making this as a side dish, you can even lighten it up with a veggie “noodle,” like zoodles or butternut squash noodles. Or even beet noodles – that would be delicious!
Nutritional yeast – Swap in parmesan cheese instead for a vegetarian (not vegan) version.
Citrus – You can swap in any citrus instead of lemon juice and lemon zest. When you use orange it will be a bit sweeter, but lime will provide the same tang.
Other Quick Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy:
This Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta is…
- Delicious
- Quick to prepare
- Made with 6 ingredients
- Easy weeknight dinner
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Allergy friendly
Garlic Lemon Pea Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (original recipe made with lentil pasta)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 2 cups peas
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)
- Zest from 1 medium lemon
- Juice from ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Bring a large salted pot of water to a boil.
- In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, sautéing until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add peas, nutritional yeast/parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and additional tablespoon olive oil.
- When pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the saute pan. Toss together. Season with salt and pepper before serving warm.
Don’t Forget to PIN IT…
XO