Black-Eyed Pea Pasta (Printable version)

Mediterranean-inspired pasta with black-eyed peas, garlic, fresh herbs, and vegetables in olive oil

# Ingredient list:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle

→ Legumes

02 - 1 can (14 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, or 1.5 cups cooked black-eyed peas

→ Aromatics & Herbs

03 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
04 - 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

→ Vegetables

09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves

→ Seasonings

11 - 0.5 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
12 - 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

14 - Zest and juice of 0.5 lemon
15 - 0.33 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 0.25 cup of cooking water.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red onion, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
03 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until just softened.
04 - Add black-eyed peas, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring to combine flavors.
05 - Add cooked pasta and reserved cooking water to the skillet. Toss thoroughly, then add spinach and cook until just wilted, approximately 1 minute.
06 - Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and basil. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Divide among bowls and top with crumbled feta cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in thirty minutes, which means you can go from hungry to deeply satisfied faster than you'd expect.
  • Black-eyed peas sneak in protein and fiber so quietly you'll just taste the herbs and garlic doing their thing.
  • The lemon at the end wakes everything up like opening a window on the first warm day of spring.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned black-eyed peas, because that starchy canning liquid will make your finished dish look cloudy and taste one-note instead of bright.
  • Reserve the pasta cooking water before you drain, because that starch is what turns this from a pile of ingredients into something cohesive and silky.
  • Add the fresh herbs at the very end, not at the beginning, or you'll cook away the freshness that makes this dish worth eating.
03 -
  • Taste the dish before you add salt because the feta, if you're using it, brings its own saltiness, and the pasta cooking water adds subtle seasoning too.
  • If your skillet seems too crowded when you add the cooked pasta, use two smaller skillets instead of fighting with one crowded pan where everything steams instead of warming evenly.
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