Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Print Version)
Light pasta with sweet peas and lively mint basil pesto for a fresh, flavorful dish.
# What You 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
13 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Fresh mint or basil leaves
# How-To:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, make the pesto: In a food processor, combine peas, mint, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pulse until finely chopped.
03 - With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the pesto is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the pesto, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta luxuriously.
05 - Serve immediately, topped with extra blanched peas, grated Parmesan, and fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of fresh mint and basil creates this incredible aromatic brightness that regular pesto just cant match
- It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something from a fancy Italian restaurant
02 -
- Reserving pasta water is non negotiable, it's the starchy liquid gold that turns pesto from a coating into a real sauce
- Don't walk away while toasting pine nuts, they go from perfectly golden to burned in literally ten seconds flat
03 -
- If your pesto tastes too sharp, add another teaspoon of Parmesan to mellow it out without losing brightness
- Wash your herbs and dry them thoroughly before processing, or your pesto will turn watery and sad