Pesto Fettuccine with Peas & Cherry Tomatoes
Fettuccine tossed in pesto with a pan of cherry tomatoes, garden peas, and a crumble of salty feta. 15 minutes from cutting board to bowl.
The peas do the quiet work here. At 168 grams, they carry 22g of protein and 13g of fiber without any meat on the plate. Cherry tomatoes soften in olive oil with Italian seasoning, the pasta goes in with a spoonful of pesto, and the feta hits everything while it is still warm.
Ingredients
- onion 0.5
- cherry tomatoes 6
- olive oil 0.5 tbsp
- garden peas (frozen) 6 oz
- Italian seasoning 1 tsp
- fettuccine 2 oz
- pesto 1 tbsp
- feta cheese, crumbled 1 oz
Method
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Chop the onion and halve the cherry tomatoes.
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Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peas, and Italian seasoning, and cook for another 4 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine according to the package directions.
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Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with the pesto. Toss well to combine.
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Serve in a deep bowl and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining. The starch in it loosens the pesto just enough to coat every strand of fettuccine without adding extra oil or thinning the sauce too much. A tablespoon or two is all it takes.
The feta crumbled over these cherry tomatoes creates a quiet tug-of-war on your plate. Research found that calcium from dairy competes with lycopene for absorption. The olive oil in the pan works in the opposite direction, helping your body take in more of the lycopene the tomatoes release during cooking. Both forces are happening in the same bowl.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Is 22 grams of protein enough from a vegetarian dinner?
It depends on the rest of your day. Twenty-two grams puts this dinner at a moderate protein level for a single meal. The peas deliver all of it, and research comparing pea protein to whey found that plant protein can match animal protein for muscle outcomes when total daily intake is sufficient. Whether 22 grams per sitting works depends on how many meals and snacks make up the rest of the day.
Read the full evidence reviewAre frozen peas as nutritious as fresh?
For this recipe, frozen works perfectly. Frozen peas are picked at peak ripeness and flash-frozen within hours, which locks in their nutritional profile. 168 grams of frozen peas deliver 22g of protein and 13g of fiber with zero prep beyond opening the bag. Fresh garden peas are seasonal and lose nutrients quickly after harvest, so frozen is often the more reliable option year-round.
Can I swap the feta for a different cheese?
Feta's salty crumble contrasts the sweetness of the peas and richness of the pesto. Goat cheese crumbles similarly and works well. Parmesan adds sharper flavor but does not crumble the same way. Worth knowing: calcium from dairy cheese competes with lycopene absorption from the cherry tomatoes, so the type and amount of cheese changes the nutritional interaction, not just the flavor.
Read the full evidence review
