Dinner · american
Buttered Noodles with Peas and Parmesan
Buttered noodles with peas and parmesan is the kind of dinner every kid will eat, and the whole thing comes together in the time it takes to boil water.
How to make it
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to package directions.
Add frozen peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.
Return pasta and peas to the pot, add butter and toss until melted.
Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Serve topped with parmesan.
Any boxed pasta works here. Barilla, Ronzoni, and De Cecco are all fine. Radiatori, fusilli, and rotini catch butter better than spaghetti, which makes it more fun for small hands. Frozen peas from any store brand are identical to name brands and drop straight into the boiling water. Grated Parmesan in the green can works fine, but a small wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano grated fresh makes a noticeable difference if you have it.
Stir in a handful of shredded rotisserie chicken for protein. Add a squeeze of lemon and a small handful of baby spinach off the heat and the spinach wilts right in. Swap butter for olive oil and add a clove of minced garlic for a slightly more grown-up version the whole table can share.
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