One-Pot Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
If you’re looking for a cozy, satisfying meal that’s truly easy to make, this one-pot pasta with peas and potatoes is just the thing. Inspired by rustic Italian cooking, it uses pantry staples and skips even the usual step of frying onions — everything goes straight into one pot. No draining, no fuss, and minimal cleanup. Whether you’re short on time or just want something hearty and nostalgic, this dish delivers big comfort with very little effort.
This hearty one-pot pasta is one of our most-loved recipes, right up there with Creamy Bacon Pasta, Spaghetti With Anchovies (Spaghetti con Acciughe) and Easy Creamy Bacon Tomato Pasta (Zio Michele).
Pasta with peas and potatoes (pasta con piselli e patate) is a classic Italian dish I learned from my husband. “No frying the onions, please,” he said when I first offered to make it. Wait—no frying the onions? Then how will they cook? In the water.
I was skeptical. But as it turns out, gently simmering the onions (instead of sautéing) gives this dish its humble, comforting soul. I was thoroughly humbled — and now, it’s been a weeknight staple for decades.
What I love most is that while it’s best served warm (Italians famously dislike reheated pasta!), it reheats beautifully with a splash of water and a quick stir.
What could be better than one pot, pantry staples, and dinner in under 30 minutes? No-fuss, no-frills — just old-style comfort in every spoonful.
Cozy, affordable, and satisfying — this one-pot pasta with peas and potatoes is a must for easy weeknight dinners. No fuss, all flavor.
What Makes This Dish Special
- Everything cooks in one pot
- No need to fry onions or boil separately
- Perfect balance of carbs and comfort
- Vegetarian and budget-friendly
Before we jump in, please note the entire recipe uses salt one time and that’s when we boil the water.
If you salt well, you won't need to salt again.
Ingredients – What You Will Need
This recipe uses just 7 ingredients, requires no frying or preheating, and relies on simple pantry staples. It’s meat-free, dairy-free, and made in just one pot. Use hight heat for the entire recipe. Electric stove #9 is my setting.
- Ditalini pasta (or any short pasta of your choice)
- Frozen peas (fresh peas work too, if available)
- Extra virgin olive oil (we recommend this specific extra virgin olive oil)
- Salt (for boiling the pasta—coarse salt works best, but any salt will do)
- Black pepper (freshly ground peppercorns are ideal—this is the one used in this recipe)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- Baby leeks (diced—feel free to use just onion or just leek, depending on your preference)
How to Make Simple One-Pot Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
Intro
This is how I make this potatoes peas and pasta recipe. No preheating the oven, simply peel and quarter the potatoes. If your potatoes are big, cut them into cubes, the bigger the potatoes pieces are, the longer they cook but if they are too small, they will turn to mush!
Step 1. Boil the water
Start by boiling water in a large pot just as you would when cooking pasta. Add the salt once it’s boiling. We use coarse salt for boiling pasta but you can use any salt.
Step 2. Start cooking
Then add the sliced leeks and diced onion. Remember that you can use both onions as we do or either. Give the onions a stir and cook them for around 2-3 minutes.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I'd like to receive tips & recipes from Anosmic Kitchen.
Step 3. Cook with the lid on or at a slant
Add the potatoes, stir and let them cook for around 10 minutes or until the potatoes are about to be fork tender. Don’t wait until they are completely soft.
Step 4. Remove the lid and add the pasta
Now you add the pasta, stir and cook according to the packet instructions plus and additional 2-3 minutes. So, the datalini (use any small pasta) used in this recipe has too cook for 7 minutes according to packet instructions but I cooked it a little longer.
Step 5. Add the peas
When your pasta is al dente, add the peas, this will give you another 3-4 minutes or so for the pasta to continue cooking. Don’t worry it doesn’t go mushy. If you set a timer for the pasta cooking time, when goes off, add the peas. And if tiny ditalini can cook for an additional 4 minutes, other pasta varieties like fusilli, orecchiette, penne will definitely take the heat so to speak.
Side Note: We have 3 tablespoons of olive oil so add about a tablespoon at a time throughout the cooking. For example, after stirring the potatoes, then after adding the peas or pasta and then at then at the end.
Serve your potatoes, peas and pasta while warm with fresh black pepper and a little drizzle of olive oil. That’s how we make and serve this recipe.
Recipe Notes
- When you add the frozen peas, the temperature will drop a little but just for a few seconds hence cooking on high heat. Not just because pasta needs rapidly boiling water but also to maintain the heat or regain as quickly as possible when the peas are added.
- If you prefer a slightly thicker broth, make the slurry as mentioned above.
- Use any small pasta of your choice; ditalini is a great option, but any small pasta works well in this dish.
- To add some color and flavor, consider stirring in 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste with the peas.
- We like our dish with a soupier consistency, so we use a generous amount of water. Feel free to add extra water if needed, or simply warm it up again later. The dish is best served warm because the potatoes and water absorb the flavors as it sits.
Variations
- Add dried pepper flakes at the end for a little heat.
- Add grated grated parmesan cheese at the end or any cheese of your choice.
- Add a tablespoon of tomato paste for colour and a tomato flavour.
- Best eaten fresh but can be stored.
- Broth instead of water = more flavor
Serving Suggestions
- With a drizzle of olive oil or Parmesan
- As a side dish to grilled chicken or fish
- Tuck into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs
Storage
- Keeps 2–3 days in fridge
- Reheat gently with a splash of water
- Not ideal for freezing due to potato texture
10 Delicious, Easy, and Quick Pasta Recipes – A Collection of Tasty Pasta Dishes for Every Occasion
A quick and easy one-pot pasta recipe with peas and potatoes. Perfect for busy nights, comforting, and made with pantry staples.
One-Pot Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Large pot for cooking the pasta and vegetables.
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons for the ingredients.
- 1 Wooden spoon for stirring
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups dry ditalini pasta (160g) 1- 2 cups also works
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 baby leeks, sliced (or you can substitute with just 1 onion and no leeks)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5-6 cups water (about half a pot, enough to cook pasta)
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Slice the leeks (or onion), and dice the potatoes.2 medium potatoes, diced, 1 small onion diced, 3 baby leeks, sliced (or you can substitute with just 1 onion and no leeks)
- Start boiling: In a large pot, bring 5-6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the salt, sliced leeks, and diced onion. Let it boil for 2 minutes.5-6 cups water (about half a pot, enough to cook pasta), 1 tablespoon salt
- Add the potatoes: Stir in the diced potatoes, and cook until they’re just about fork-tender.
- Add the pasta: Once the potatoes are nearly tender, add the dry pasta to the pot. Cook according to package instructions, but keep in mind you may need a bit more time to get the pasta soft, not perfectly al dente.1 2/3 cups dry ditalini pasta (160g) 1- 2 cups also works
- Add peas: When the pasta is nearly done (after about 7 minutes), add the frozen peas to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes.1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- Finish with olive oil: Drizzle in the olive oil in 3 parts: once after adding the potatoes, again after adding the pasta, and finally with the peas. Stir gently to combine.3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Adjust consistency: If you find the water too thin, you can make a quick slurry (mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little water) and stir it in. This will thicken the broth. (Use the water from the pot)
- Serve: Taste and season with freshly ground black pepper, and optional grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm for the best consistency!Black pepper, to taste
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- If you prefer a slightly thicker broth, make the slurry as mentioned above.
- Use any small pasta of your choice; ditalini is a great option, but any small pasta works well in this dish.
- To add some color and flavor, consider stirring in 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste with the peas.
- We like our dish with a soupier consistency, so we use a generous amount of water. Feel free to add extra water if needed, or simply warm it up again later. The dish is best served warm because the potatoes and water absorb the flavors as it sits.
