Name: Peas with Baked Ricotta and Bread Crumbs
Yield: A light supper for 2
Ingredients: Olive oil; 1 cup high-quality ricotta cheese, such as hand-dipped full-fat ricotta; 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs; 4 teaspoons butter; 2 large shallots or 1/2 small onion, finely diced (about 1/3 cup); 5 small sage leaves, minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons); 1 1/2 pounds pod peas, shucked (about 1 cup); Grated zest of 1 lemon; Sea salt and freshly ground pepper; Chunk of Parmesan cheese, for grating

Image may contain Plant Cutlery Fork Food Vegetable Produce Pea Furniture Dining Table and Table

Faced with a cup of just-shucked peas, my mind runs in a million directions. Should I simmer them with soft butter lettuce leaves, pair them with pasta, or flatter their delicacy with new sage leaves and their blossoms, fresh mint, or lemon (or even all three)? Basil is lovely with peas, too. I could add them to that meager handful of fava beans that are waiting for company, or use them to make a frothy green soup. After scanning the possibilities, I end up cooking them with minced shallot, sage, and lemon, then spooning them over baked ricotta with crispy bread crumbs. This is one of my favorite dishes.

With Pasta:

Cook 1 cup or so pasta shells in boiling, salted water. Drain and toss them with the peas, cooked as above, and then with the ricotta. The peas nestle in the pasta, like little green pearls.

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

37 Ricotta Cheese Recipes to Use Up the Rest of That Tub
Mushroom lasagna, citrusy pound cake, slow cooker polenta, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Recipe notes

37 Ricotta Cheese Recipes to Use Up the Rest of That Tub