This Snap Pea Pasta is truly one of my most favorite spring-inspired meals I’ve made to date. It’s bright, fresh, loaded with flavor from a few key ingredients, and comes together in less than 15 minutes — weeknight magic!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
When you’re working with a short ingredient list, it’s all about building flavor with every step. That starts with butter, olive oil, garlic, and shallots — the dream team — plus perfectly in-season snap peas and a hit of red pepper flakes for just the right amount of kick. Honestly, that combo alone is so good I’ve eaten it straight out of the pan as a side dish more times than I can count.
But you know me — carbs make everything better. Toss in some pasta, Pecorino, and a big squeeze of lemon and it turns into a complete meal that tastes like spring in a bowl. This 15 minute Snap Pea Pasta is about to be your go-to spring pasta dish for those busy weeknights! Bonus - it's delightful with a side of grilled chicken, steak or salmon!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sugar snap peas
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- Lemon
- Pasta (any shape you love!)
How to Make
Heat the butter, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the snap peas, garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the snap peas are just tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the snap pea mixture.
Toss everything together, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Top the Snap Pea Pasta extra cheese before serving, if desired.
Tips & Tricks
- Slice your snap peas thinly on a diagonal — it looks pretty and helps them cook quickly while keeping their crunch.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest on this Snap Pea Pasta — it adds such a bright, punchy flavor that makes the whole dish pop.
- Reserve a little pasta water before draining! If you want a silkier finish, you can splash some in when tossing everything together.
- Use a pasta shape that holds onto the peas and cheese — I love shells, ziti, fusilli, or orecchiette.
- If you want to bulk this Snap Pea Pasta up, throw in some grilled chicken, shrimp, or even crispy prosciutto.
FAQ's
How long do leftovers last?
Leftovers will keep for up to 3-5 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
What kind of pasta did you use?
I used ziti for this recipe but and short pasta would be great. Bonus if you use something that holds onto the peas. Aka - something where the peas can get stuck in the little cavities of the pasta shape.
Can I use frozen snap peas?
Sadly, no — fresh is best here. You want that crisp, snappy bite that frozen peas just can’t deliver.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Totally! Just swap in your favorite gluten-free pasta.
What cheese is best?
Pecorino adds a salty, sharp kick that balances the sweetness of the peas, but Parmesan works too if that’s what you have.
Can I make this ahead of time?
It’s best served fresh, but leftovers keep well for lunch the next day. Just add a squeeze of lemon before reheating to wake it up!
Why would you use butter AND olive oil as the base of Snap Pea Pasta?
Great question — using both butter and olive oil gives you the best of both worlds:
Butter brings richness, a hint of sweetness, and that slightly nutty depth when it browns a little — perfect for pairing with garlic and shallots.
Olive oil keeps things lighter and has a higher smoke point, which helps prevent the butter from burning while still letting you sauté over medium-high heat.
When combined, they create a flavorful base that’s velvety, balanced, and layered — exactly what you want when you're working with just a handful of ingredients. It's a little cheffy trick that makes a big difference in simple recipes like this one!
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Snap Pea Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound sugar snap peas thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus more to finish (or parmesan cheese)
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 10 ounces pasta
Instructions
- Heat the butter, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the snap peas, garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the snap peas are just tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the snap pea mixture.
- Toss everything together, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Top with extra cheese before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Leftovers will keep for up to 3-5 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
Bright, tangy and absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this pasta again and again.
So quick and easy!!
Made this tonight for dinner. So easy to make and the flavor is absolutely delicious!
OMG amazing! I added some chopped prosciutto, deglazed with a little white wine and chicken broth to sauce it up a bit. Since I'm low carb right now I used angel hair shiritaki noodles and it subbed beautifully! Thank you Gaby for this fast delicious dish.❤️
Yummy spring meal!
Perfect spring meal!
I would love to make this recipe but what would be a substitute for the Land O Lakes butter with olive oil and sea salt?
Many thanks!
any butter works!
Light and bright and delicious!