Pasta with Peas (Pasta e Piselli)

Pasta e piselli can be made brothy and light or thick and hearty. Our version lands somewhere in between. We blend some of the peas to give the dish color and creaminess, but we sneak some arugula into the puree for peppery notes and an even more verdant hue. Frozen peas are perfectly fine here. Not only are they available year-round, frozen are almost always better quality than fresh because shelling peas lose their sweetness within just a day or two of harvesting. To add some spiciness or a little textural contrast, sprinkle bowlfuls with red pepper flakes and/or chopped pistachios.