Peas & Pasta

My grandparents used to keep two huge deep freezers in their basement where they stored bags and bags of the fruit and vegetables they picked in summertime. I cherish the memories of me and my cousins sitting around shelling peas (which my grandparents would buy by the hundreds from the U-pick farm in Starlight, Indiana). Sure we kids were an excellent source of free labor, but what did we know? We had a blast. Life just seemed so much slower and easier back then, when you could sit around with your family and have a lot of laughs enjoying such simple pleasures.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a one pound bag of freshly shelled spring peas being sold by one of the farmers at our local farmer's market and I was elated. To me, the farmer's market has become the second best thing to a U-pick farm for me. As much as I love the idea of sitting around with my kids picking fresh peas out of their pods, it's not something we can realistically do on a regular basis. So being able to enjoy and provide my family with farm fresh peas and not have to invest all of that time and labor is a life saver.

Most kids I know love peas because of their vibrant green color, soft texture and sweet flavor. Bursting with 8 vitamins and 7 nutrients -- including Vitamin K, folic acid, B6 and dietary fiber -- peas are a great veggie choice for kids.

Instead of incorporating them into a dish with a ton of other ingredients, spring peas get to be the star of this simple recipe. From start to finish, you can have this meal on the table in less then 15 minutes with happy faces all around -- no child labor necessary!!