Preparation

• 

• Prepare the split peas following the procedure described in cooking split peas [basic recipe] or, if you already have them in the freezer, defrost a double portion.

• Prepare the light pumpkin puree.

  Clean the pumpkin, slice it, and remove the skin, then dice the flesh: the smaller they are, the quicker they will cook.

  Place them in a saucepan [more or less small depending on the amount of flesh], add just enough water to cover the pumpkin cubes, bring to a boil, and let cook with a lid on low heat for 5 minutes.

  Turn off the heat, add the vegetable bouillon cube [optional] and mix with a silicone spatula until it melts with the pumpkin.

  Add salt and grind the pepper.

  Blend with an immersion blender directly in the saucepan or in a tall narrow glass.

  The light pumpkin puree is ready.

  I used about 6 oz.

  Alternatively, simply add boiled and blended pumpkin.

  

• Clean and thoroughly wash the vegetables:
  • celery stalks and leaves.

  Cut the celery stalks into chunks and separate the leaves.

• Pour into the pot:
  • the celery;
  • 1/2 cup of water;
  • a pinch of salt;
  and bring to a boil.

• Add:
  • the peas;
  • the pumpkin puree;
  and combine by stirring with a silicone spatula.

• With the heat off, add a homemade vegetable bouillon cube to further enhance the flavor [optional].

  Adjust the salt and grind the pepper.

  If the soup is too thick, add more water as needed, bring to a boil, and combine.

• Your creamy pea and pumpkin soup is ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

• I made my pea and pumpkin whole wheat pasta soup even more delicious by using mixed whole wheat pasta [leftovers from various packages].

  Cook the mixed pasta and drain it.

  How long should mixed pasta cook?

  I made my mixed legume pasta soup even more delicious by using mixed whole wheat pasta [leftovers from various packages fusilli, penne and broken whole wheat spaghetti thus different cooking times: check the various cooking times and choose the lowest or median cooking time].

  For brothy main dishes, to avoid blood sugar spikes, it’s advisable to cook the pasta separately, rinse it, and then add it to the prepared brothy sauce; this way, the starch released by the pasta in the cooking water is eliminated.

  Meanwhile, bring the soup back to a boil.

  Pour the pasta into the pot with the soup and combine.

  Serve.

  Add a drizzle of raw olive oil and grind the pepper.

  Your whole wheat pasta pea and pumpkin soup is ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

  

• Cook the fregola in water, rinse it under running water, and drain it.

  Meanwhile, heat the pea and pumpkin soup.

  Pour the fregola into the pot with the pea and pumpkin soup and combine.

  Serve.

  Add a drizzle of raw olive oil and grind the pepper.

  Your pea and pumpkin fregola is ready.

  Enjoy your meal.

• About Fregola

  In Sicily, particularly in Ragusa, fregola is not easy to find, and buying it online involves significant shipping costs.

  I received it as a gift from a friend [thank you again, Jlenia] who exceptionally found it at Lidl, and later, I purchased it at a Deco store in Tremestieri, Catania.

• Pairing with pasta, rice, or other grains allows for better absorption of legume proteins.

  The grains in these dishes compensate for the missing amino acids in legumes, providing a complete amino acid pool.

  Choose grains preferably whole.

  For more information: how to pair legumes in the diet.