Pasta and Pea Soup

This pasta and pea soup, with an onion and celery base, is both fresh and hearty. Plus, it only takes about 30 minutes to make. 

Along with the pasta, peas, celery, and onions, this soup includes diced pancetta, an Italian salt cured meat from pork belly, which adds a tasty rich flavor. This soup makes a wonderful light lunch. It's just filling enough to satisfy your hunger without weighing you down. 

Top this soup with a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese for more savory salty deliciousness. 

Even though this is a hot soup, it actually is great as a spring or summer meal, except perhaps for the hottest days. Between the light broth and the peas, this soup actually tastes fresh and light. 

Ingredients in This Soup:

Onion and Celery: For the base of the soup. 

Pancetta: Pancetta is typically sold thinly sliced or pre-diced. You will need to use diced pancetta. If you can find thick slices of pancetta, usually at an Italian deli, it's worth it so that you can dice the pancetta a little larger than the pre-diced pancetta. 

Chicken Broth plus Water: For the broth, I prefer the low sodium version so that I can adjust the salt to taste if necessary. Between the salt in the broth and the pancetta, I did not add very much extra salt. 

Pasta: For this soup, I used ditalini, which is the same pasta often used in macaroni salad. 

Frozen Peas: There is no need to defrost the peas before adding them to the soup. 

Pecorino Romano Cheese: Stir some into the soup before serving and serve more on the side for the cheese lovers. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For sauteeing the onion, celery, and pancetta. 

Garnishes: Hot sauce and fresh parsley. You could also add fresh mint. I stirred about a teaspoon of hot sauce into my bowl of soup and it really added brightness and acidity to the mix. A few drops of hot sauce are probably the right amount for most folks. 

To Make This Soup: 

First, sauté the onions, celery, pancetta, and salt and pepper in a Dutch oven in the oil for about six to eight minutes. 

Next add the broth and water and bring it to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook it until it is just al dente. 

After that, add the peas and the cheese and remove the pan from the heat. Add the hot sauce if you are using it, along with the parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and serve it with more cheese and hot sauce. 

Make-Ahead and Storage:

This soup is so easy to make. It's best served immediately, but leftovers are still delicious. Store them in the refrigerator for a couple of days. 

The pasta may absorb more of the broth in the leftover soup while it's in the refrigerator but the pasta does not seem to get overly soft. Although I did not find this necessary, if you need to, you can add a bit more chicken broth to leftovers to loosen up the soup. 

More Soup Recipes You May Enjoy:

I love soup and have shared many soup recipes. Here are just a few that are great for a light lunch this time of year..  

Italian Wedding Soup

Sardinian Herb Soup

Summer Vegetable Soup with Sausage and Lentils

Finnish Summer Soup

Cannellini and Fennel Soup

"P" is for Pasta, Peas, and More!

To continue the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, we are sharing recipes that begin with "P" or include ingredients that that begin with "P."

• Food Lust People Love: Easy Pastina Soup 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Grilled Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Peas and Pepper Pasta Salad 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Pasta and Pea Soup 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Pineapple Salad 
• Blogghetti: Easy Pumpkin Pie Crescent Rolls 
• A Messy Kitchen: Maple Pecan Fudge 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Pasta with Preserved Lemon 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Peach Crumble Pound Cake (Cake Mix Recipe) 
• Culinary Cam: Brunede Kartofler (Danish Caramel Potatoes) 
• Magical Ingredients: Pepper and Cheese Dip

Last year, for the 2024 challenge, I made Pork Carnitas in the Instant Pot for the Letter "P." They were perfect for hearty tacos. 

 

Pasta and Pea Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

This pasta and pea soup, with an onion and celery base, is both fresh and hearty. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 ounces diced pancetta
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) ditalini
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for the table
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for the table
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, pancetta, and salt and pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened, about six to eight minutes.
2. Add the broth and the water and bring to a boil. Add the ditalini, return the pan to a boil, and cook the pasta until it is al dente, according to the package directions, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the peas and the cheese and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and add the hot sauce (optional). Add more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve with more cheese and hot sauce on the table.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

451

Fat (grams)

22 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

7 g

Carbs (grams)

45 g

Fiber (grams)

6 g

Net carbs

40 g

Sugar (grams)

7 g

Protein (grams)

17 g

Cholesterol (grams)

35 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2025/07/pasta-and-pea-soup.html

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This recipe was adapted from a recipe from my local newspaper. The author is Cathy Thomas of Cathy Thomas Cooks. Her books include 50 Best Plants on the Planet, Melissa's Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce, and Melissa's Great Book of Produce.