Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Printable)
A light pasta dish featuring fresh peas, mint, basil, and parmesan with a zesty lemon finish.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried spaghetti or linguine
→ Pesto
02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
03 - 1 packed cup fresh mint leaves
04 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
05 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
07 - 1 small garlic clove
08 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
11 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
→ To Finish
12 - 1/2 cup fresh peas
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Zest of 1 lemon
15 - Freshly cracked black pepper
# How To Make It:
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 pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - While the pasta cooks, prepare the pesto: In a food processor, combine the peas, mint, basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped.
03 - With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Process until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. If the pesto is too thick, blend in a little reserved pasta water.
04 - Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the pesto and toss to coat, using reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
05 - Fold in the extra fresh peas, lemon zest, and half of the remaining Parmesan.
06 - Divide among plates. Top with additional Parmesan and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It transforms ordinary pasta into something that feels like spring on a plate
- The pesto comes together faster than you can boil water
- Leftovers keep beautifully for next-day lunches
02 -
- Do not blanch the peas for the pesto - raw or thawed frozen peas give the best bright green color and fresh sweetness
- The pesto thickens as it sits, so always thin it with pasta water, not more oil
- Mint oxidizes and darkens quickly, so make the pesto right before you plan to toss it with pasta
03 -
- Freeze extra pesto in ice cube trays for instant flavor bombs on future pasta nights
- Toast an extra handful of pine nuts for garnish - that crunch against the silky pesto is magical