Pasta with Pesto and Peas
Pasta with pesto and peas: a fresh, light dinner with homemade basil pesto, sweet peas, and a zesty lemon twist you will love.
Equipment
- food processor (for pesto)
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (serves 2 people)
- ½ cup peas
- A squeeze of lemon juice (optional to add zest as well)
Pesto
- 2 cups basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted on a dry pan until fragrant
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- A pinch of salt (remember, the pasta water is also salty)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Strain and rinse under cold water.
- In the same pot, add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the package suggests (for example, if the package says 10, cook for 8 minutes).
- While the pasta cooks, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan and blend the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Add pasta water if needed to adjust the consistency.
- Transfer the pasta directly from the pot to a large pan. If you strain it, reserve at least 2-3 cup of pasta water.
- Add pesto and ½ cup of pasta water to the pan. Stir until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta finishes cooking. Add more pasta water if the sauce gets too dry.
- Add the peas and stir to warm them up. Taste and adjust seasoning, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and zest.
- Plate the pasta and finish with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.