Wagon Wheel Pasta and Peas

Wagon Wheel Pasta and Peas is an easy, hearty dinner to make for the whole family and very economical.

This is a delicious homemade tomato sauce rich in flavor and easy to make.

The pot simmers quickly with a fresh tomato sauce with just the right spice, garlic,  to make a delicious fresh tasting sauce with peas or even another bean you prefer.

This meal has very fond memories that remind me of my grandmother who always liked to add a fun-shaped pasta for us children when we were very young.

Just cook your favorite pasta to go along with the sauce like ditalini, baby shells, or another small macaroni you prefer we just happened to love wagon wheel pasta.

If you have meat lovers you can add cooked sausage, or sliced pepperoni, we have some suggestions below for a delicious one-pan meal.

You may also like our economical 15 Easy Pasta Recipe Roundup or our 15 One-Pan Favorite Meals recipes.

Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Easy Weeknight Meals

This meal is super easy to make and you can even use store-bought ingredients in a hurry to substitute when making this one-pan vintage recipe.


The meal can also have added cooked meats to it for a heartier meal like ground beef, pork, or Italian sausage.


Also if you prefer not to use any alcohol in this recipe, chicken broth is a great substitution.

Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions

• any kind of pasta you like can be used
• any other vegetables to substitute, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, escarole, onions, eggplant, zucchini slices
• roasted red, bell peppers, or hot peppers
• meatballs, sliced cooked steak, pork or lamb, prosciutto, or capicola instead of sausage
• shrimp or another seafood you like
• always sauteed the meats using first to make sure they are flavored with garlic before adding them to the sauce

Pasta Suggestions

1. ditalini
2. baby bowties
3. mostaccioli
4. fusilli
5. baby seashells
6. elbows

Ingredients You Will Need(for exact measurements scroll down to the recipe card)

1. pasta of your choice cooked to package instructions
2. fresh tomatoes, your favorite  homemade sauce,  or a favorite marinara store-bought jarred
3. peas
4. granulated garlic
5. fresh basil
6. white wine. water or chicken broth
7. salt, pepper
8. Pecorino Romano cheese
9. fresh parsley
10. olive oil
11. Optional Garnish: red pepper flakes and more Pecorino Romano cheese, Italian sausage or another meat you prefer (boneless chicken, pork, ground sirloin)

Tips

• cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions
• to save time use a jarred marinara sauce
• add cooked Italian sausage, small cooked meatballs, or pepperoni to the sauce
• to save time, air fry the sausage then slice it
• use a medley of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian
• add zucchini and peppers for a change of flavors in the sauce
• for a healthier version use turkey sausage, wheat, or a low carb pasta of your choice
• cook the peas for around 15 to 20 minutes so they don't shrivel up in the sauce last
• always use Pecorino Romano freshly grated for best results in a pinch use the jarred kind
• this dish tastes great topped with shredded melted mozzarella for a bit of a twist
• substitute chicken broth for the wine for a non-alcohol dish

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Comfort Food

This dish back in the 1960s was a staple in our homes during a time when money was tight and grandma and mom would make it often changing it up by adding leftover meats or other vegetables from weeknight meals.


The meal will feed a large family economically and is very simple to make, and is fun for the kids to eat with our favorite shaped pasta.


If you love vintage recipes this is a great recipe to add to your collection.

Wagon Wheel Pasta and Peas

Yield: 8

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This is a fun shaped pasta called Wagon Wheels with a homemade Italian tomato sauce and peas

Ingredients

• 1 large 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or use 12 fresh ripe plum tomatoes crushed in the food processor which we used primarily in season)
• 1 can of tomato paste fill the can with white wine, chicken broth, or water to remove all of the paste in the can
• 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf fresh parsley chopped
• 1 bay leaf (remove when the sauce is completed cooking)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 or 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Use 1/2 the box of (16-ounce box) Wagon Wheels or another pasta you prefer cooked to al denti to package instructions and drained
• Garnish: Pecorino Romano Cheese when served on top and red pepper flakes which are optional

Instructions

1. In a large 4-quart Dutch oven, add the olive oil and garlic, and saute for 1 minute with the tomato paste.
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes then add the peas.
3. Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
4. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Boil the wagon wheels (or the pasta you've chosen to use) to package instructions.
6. Stir into the sauce.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese.

Notes

Tips

• cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions
• to save time use a jarred marinara sauce
• add cooked Italian sausage, small cooked meatballs, or pepperoni to the sauce
• to save time, air fry the sausage then slice it
• use a medley of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian
• add zucchini and peppers for a change of flavors in the sauce
• for a healthier version use turkey sausage, wheat, or a low carb pasta of your choice
• cook the peas for around 15 to 20 minutes so they don't shrivel up in the sauce last
• always use Pecorino Romano freshly grated for best results in a pinch use the jarred kind
• this dish tastes great topped with shredded melted mozzarella for a bit of a twist
• substitute chicken broth for the wine for a non-alcohol dish

Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions

• any kind of pasta you like can be used
• any other vegetables to substitute, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, escarole, onions, eggplant, zucchini slices
• roasted red, bell peppers, or hot peppers
• meatballs, sliced cooked steak, pork or lamb, prosciutto, or capicola instead of sausage, ground cooked beef or pork
• shrimp or another seafood you like
• always sauteed the meats using first to make sure they are flavored with garlic before adding them to the sauce

Similar Recipes

Pasta e Fagioli or Pasta Fazool

Italian Escarole and Beans

20 Kinds of Bean Recipes

https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2012/10/moms-wagon-wheel-pasta-and-peas.html

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Italian

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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2012. It was edited and re-published in 2022.