This light pasta dish is bursting with the fresh green goodness of cilantro and tender sweet peas. A nice change of pace from traditional red or heavy cream sauces, its light dressing is made from extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, with a hint of red pepper added for kick.

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Green Pea Cilantro Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

9 oz. penne or pasta of choice
1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup torn fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of water according to package directions. Drain and transfer pasta to a large bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Gently toss to combine.

3. Serve warm.

Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP is the Editor-in-Chief of TheHealthyApple.com; she is a Manhattan based Personal Chef, Culinary Nutritionist, Professional Recipe Developer, Food Photographer and Writer specializing in simple gluten-free and dairy-free ‘Clean’ recipes using whole foods. Amie recently healed herself from six years of chronic pain, exhausting every doctor in the country and Mayo Clinic; she shares her story of howClean Eating saved her life and inspires you to Clean up your food, too. Amie lives in Manhattan, NYC where she cooks for a variety of clients including celebrities and people with busy lifestyles who enjoy healthy, fresh food. Visit Amie on Facebook, Twitter andPinterest; she’d love to hear from you!