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What's special about this recipe is that it really celebrates wrinkled peas and wrinkled peas are a truly remarkable food (check this link and this).
Simply put they contain greater amount of resistant starch than regular peas, but a lower overall carbohydrate content (they contain more protein than carbohydrate!). Resistant starch is great for us because it takes longer for the body to break down and as is more slowly digested it causes less rapid increase in blood sugar and creates a longer feeling of fullness after eating.
If that wasn't enough these wonderfully wrinkly peas have a distinctively sweet and grassy flavour that binds well with a well-matureded cheese, or with dry cured meat (I particularly like chorizo with them), but as I cooked this pasta plate on my vegan-monday I topped it up with nutritional yeast instead and it was just as awesome.
WHOLEGRAIN SPELT DITALONI LISCI WITH WRINKLED PEAS
METHOD
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Start by draining the peas and keep their water aside. Add more hot water to the water in which you soaked the peas until you have 500ml in total. Divide your peas: keep 1/3 of the drained peas aside and put the rest back in the water.
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Blend water and peas in a food processor until smooth.
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Finely chop the onion.
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Choose a large enough pan and place it on a gentle heat. Add oil and onion and let it cook gently until slightly browned.
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Once ready, add the drained peas first, and after a couple of minutes the peas puree, all the pasta and another 500 ml of hot water. Stir well and increase to high heat.
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Adjust salt and pepper to taste and keep stirring until the pasta is cooked. It should take 10 minutes and should end up quite thick like it is in the picture above (that's how I like it). Add more water if you like it smoother or wish to eat it with a spoon. Add grated cheese at any point if you like it melted in the sauce.
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If you are going for the chorizo top-up, then just fry the slices in a separate non-stick pan (add no oil), once crispy pour on top of your pasta.