Freshly shelled peas are one of the symbols of spring, and a fantastic foil for pasta besides. Here they gain substance from Mozzarella, and zest from a bell pepper.

See Also

Mezze Penne Pasta Salad With Lemon and Peas

Spaghetti with Peas

Tagliatelle with Peas

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (about 320 g) corkscrew pasta
  
• 2/3 pound (300 g) freshly shelled peas (If you're shelling them, 1 1/3 pounds, or 600 g unshelled peas)
  
• A bell pepper of the color you prefer (red will contrast nicely with the peas and the pasta)
  
• A mozzarella weighing 4 ounces (125 g), if possible from buffalo milk
  
• 2 spring onions, peeled and finely chopped, including some of the green part
  
• 4/5 cup (200 ml) vegetable bouillon (canned will work well too), hot (you can heat it over a flame or in a microwave)
  
• 4 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 35 minutes

Preparation

Set pasta water to boil, and when it does salt it and cook the pasta.

In the meantime, stem, seed and rib the bell pepper, and dice it finely.

Heat the olive oil in a broad fairly high-sided skillet and sauté the chopped spring onions over a gentle flame until they become translucent. Raise the flame to moderately high and add the peas and bell pepper.

Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, and then add the hot vegetable bouillon.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes.

While it's simmering dice the mozzarella and drain the pieces in a wire-mesh strainer.

By this point the pasta should be at the al dente stage; drain it and turn it into the skillet before the colander has completely stopped dripping.

Turn the heat to high, add the mozzarella, and cook, stirring, until the cheese begins to melt and meld with the sauce. Serve at once.

A wine? White, and I might go with a Greco di Tufo.

Yield: 4 servings pasta with bell peppers and peas.