Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Printable Version)
Fresh pasta with sweet peas, aromatic mint, basil, and toasted pine nuts in a creamy pesto sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti or fusilli)
02 - Salt for pasta water
→ Pesto
03 - 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
04 - 1 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
06 - 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
07 - 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 garlic clove
09 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
10 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ To Serve
12 - 1/2 cup fresh peas, blanched (optional garnish)
13 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Fresh mint or basil leaves
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, combine peas, mint, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
03 - With the food processor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture reaches a creamy, smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the prepared pesto, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta evenly and luxuriously.
05 - Serve immediately topped with blanched peas, additional grated Parmesan, and fresh herb leaves if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pesto comes together in minutes and transforms ordinary pasta into something restaurant worthy
- Frozen peas work beautifully, so you can make this vibrant dish year round
02 -
- The pesto can oxidize and darken if made too far ahead, but the flavor stays perfect even if the color deepens
- Start with half the pasta water, you can always add more but you cannot take it back once the pasta becomes soupy
03 -
- Make a double batch of pesto and freeze the extra in ice cube trays for instant meal starters
- The pasta water does more than thin the sauce, the starch helps it cling to every strand