Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Printable)

A fresh pasta featuring sweet peas, mint pesto, and toasted pine nuts for a light, flavorful meal.

# 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 if frozen
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)

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast, stirring constantly until golden and fragrant, approximately 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Place peas, mint, basil, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped and well combined.
04 - With food processor running, slowly pour in olive oil and lemon juice. Process until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. If consistency is too thick, incorporate 1–2 tablespoons reserved pasta water.
05 - Return drained pasta to the cooking pot. Add prepared pesto and toss thoroughly to coat. Add reserved pasta water gradually, a few tablespoons at a time, until sauce evenly clings to pasta.
06 - Serve immediately. Top with additional toasted pine nuts, freshly ground black pepper, and extra Parmesan cheese. Scatter reserved peas over the dish as a finishing touch.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pea and mint pesto stays shockingly green for days, unlike basil which turns brown so quickly
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil water, making it perfect for weeknight dinners
  • The sweetness of the peas balances mints intensity in a way that feels like spring on a plate
02 -
  • The pesto thickens quickly as it sits, so always err on the side of slightly thinner consistency
  • Reserving pasta water is non negotiable here. That starchy liquid is what transforms the pesto into a silky coating instead of something that just slides off your noodles
03 -
  • Blanch the peas in boiling water for one minute if they're large and starchy, then shock them in ice water before blending
  • If your mint is especially strong, reduce it to a quarter cup and increase the basil accordingly

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