Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Printable Version)

Vibrant pasta with sweet peas, mint pesto, and toasted pine nuts for fresh, crunchy flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Pesto

03 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed
04 - ½ cup fresh mint leaves, packed
05 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
06 - ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts plus extra for serving
07 - ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 small garlic clove
09 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
11 - Juice of ½ lemon

→ To Serve

12 - Freshly ground black pepper
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese
14 - Reserved peas (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Set aside.
03 - In a food processor, combine the peas, mint, basil, ⅓ cup pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and salt. Pulse until finely chopped.
04 - With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the pesto is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
05 - Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the pesto and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with extra pine nuts, black pepper, and more Parmesan. Garnish with reserved peas if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The mint creates this unexpected fresh breeze that cuts through rich pasta like nothing else can
  • You can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes but it tastes like something you fussed over for hours
02 -
  • Reserving that cup of pasta water before draining is non-negotiable, it is the secret to restaurant-worthy sauce consistency
  • The pesto tastes completely different once it hits the hot pasta, so do not panic if it seems too intense in the food processor
03 -
  • If making ahead, store the pesto separately with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent oxidation
  • The pesto keeps for about a week in the refrigerator and freezes beautifully if you want to double the batch

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