Peas and Pasta. A Good Healthy Dish all the Way from the Depression.

 Hello Everyone, I thought you may like this recipe.  We eat this pretty often, I can remember a great aunt saying when she was expecting way back in the early early 50s she would crave Peas and Pasta in the morning for breakfast!   Our daughter, Zuzu would also crave this when pregnant and makes this quite often for normal suppers too now.  Her husband and their little three year old are fans of this recipe as well.

Vintage photos by Robert Stock

During the Great Depression people ate simply.  My most wonderful and precious Italian step-daddy would tell me how when he was a young man in New York in the Bronx, in their family, only on Sunday could they afford to use tomatoes in their pasta gravy.  Usually it was just fried onion in olive oil with pasta, but no tomatoes.  After dinner he and his many brothers would walk down the street in their white t-shirts purposely with tomato gravy smeared on the front to show they had tomatoes in their pasta gravy by golly and they were proud of that, yes, that is how things were during the Depression.  

Here is my traditional family recipe:

Peas N' Pasta

You can use canned or frozen green peas.   You drain the peas and save the liquid if canned.  You saute fresh garlic cloves, more than several maybe an entire pod in a liberal amount of olive oil.   Do not saute them until brown that makes them bitter.  My Italian grandma will warn from Heaven if you do that!  lol  I saute mine just until fragrant.  Then you add your peas and saute those a bit.  You may add more garlic powder.  You add some salt and pepper as well, if you have reserved pea juice from can, you can now throw that in the pan.    In the meantime you boil your pasta, spaghetti is best or elbows and shells if you have those on hand already (you can salt that water if desired), when done, drain pasta save the pasta water.   Combine the garlic, pea and olive oil mixture with the pasta.   Then you can add some of that good pasta water, it will help thicken your dish as well.  You serve this in a bowl, it will be soupy.   My husband loves to sprinkle Italian cheese on top of his, Parmesan usually.  I use a vegan cheese if needed or goat cheese but no cheese at all is fine too.   My Grandma would usually use Romano sprinkled on top.  That's it!   Peas N' Pasta!  

(Our daughter, Zuzu sometimes uses lentils with the peas)

My grandma would usually serve this with fresh sliced french bread. No, she never served garlic bread.  And no mozzarella cheese, no-siree-bobbie.  Only the aged hard cheeses.  

My grandma and grandpa were true old world Italians, the sweetest most down to earth people ever.  They were not interested in showing their worth in their cars it was shown from their generous hearts.

My grandma was from Naples, Italy.  My grandpa was from Bisaquino, Sicily, the same village that Frank Capra was from, his family is mentioned in one of Frank Capra's biographies.

I usually use Ancient Harvest, Tinkyada pasta or Banza, something like that, because I do not do well with any kind of wheat.

When I was a little girl I would hear of Uncle Marccuttia prounced (mar-Koo'-tia) He was the man who sold pasta from the macaroni company in downtown, he would go down to the waterfront and sell pasta to people like my Italian grandparents.  And then there was Cousin Phillip, he would sell the Italian cheese, the good kind.  They would buy Romano from him and Ricotta pronounced (Rig-O'ta) with a long o and short i.  Emphasis on 'ota' the long o sound.  

 

The lady below reminds me of some of the good old fashioned Italian relatives.  *big smile*   She is a darling and she has a different version but it sounds good too!

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I'm praying for all things that need praying for and I do not write that lightly.

For the past several years we've faced some heartbreaking things.  I'm stunned.  I've been stunned.  If you've read my blog in detail you understand.  

 

I thought these recipes would do us all some good.

 

 

Our Victor's Wreath will be in the Prayer Closet.   What would I do without Jesus? 

 

Here is an excerpt from the ending of a poem from my Streams in the Desert devotional this morning. ...

O paradox of Heaven.  The load

we think will crush was sent to lift us

Up to God!  Then, soul of mine,

Climb up!  Nothing can e'er be crushed

Save what is underneath the weight.

How may we climb!  By what ascent

Will we crest the critical cares

Of life!  Within His word is found

The key which opens His secret stairs;

Alone with Christ, secluded there,

We mount our loads, and rest in Him.   

~Mary Butterfield

 

 

 

Tonight for supper we will have vegan meatballs in marinara sauce, eggplant in marinara sauce and pasta.  I have two little frozen yeast rolls (the kind from the frozen section) rising as a little surprise for Jem, he loves those. 

I hope you enjoy the little old fashioned recipe above, it would be good to have those ingredients on hand I think.  

Take care All, til next time... I've been doing simple altering to some clothing, not doing fun-sewing as planned but it's rewarding to have well fitted wardrobe that is designed and made by me! 

 

 I'll close with this favorite of mine...I think it's beautiful...