Shells with Peas & Buttermilk Sauce

A delightful spring pasta dish combining the fresh and light flavors of buttermilk, peas, mint, and Pecorino Romano cheese. This dish is perfect for a light yet satisfying meal.

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen peas thawed
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 lemon zest
• 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 1 bunch mint
• 0 kosher salt to taste
• 1 pound medium pasta shells
• 0.5 cup frozen peas
• 1 buttermilk sauce prepared
• 1 pound medium pasta shells cooked
• 1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese grated
• 0 Pecorino Romano cheese grated, for serving
• 0 extra-virgin olive oil for serving
• 0 black pepper for serving

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
2. Rinse 2 cups frozen peas under cold water until they are thawed, about 1 minute. Drain. Add to a blender, along with buttermilk, garlic cloves, lemon zest, olive oil, black pepper, and mint leaves. Blend on high until very smooth. Season the sauce with salt and set aside.
3. Stir the pasta shells into the pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente according to the package directions. One minute before the pasta is done cooking, add the remaining frozen peas to the pasta pot. Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a big scoop of pasta water.
4. To a large Dutch oven, add the buttermilk sauce and set over medium-low heat. Add the hot pasta to the buttermilk sauce and very gently warm the sauce through, taking care to never boil or simmer the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in a small handful of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If the buttermilk sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Among shallow serving bowls, divide the pasta and add a couple of big spoonfuls of the sauce to each so that the shells are swimming in the sauce. Grate more cheese over the top and finish with olive oil and pepper.