Pea Pesto Pasta

Spring is in the air! That means it’s time for one of my favorite dishes, Pea Pesto Pasta (say that 5 times fast!)

In Chinese Medicine, Springtime is associated with the color green, the direction of the East, the Wind, the emotion of Anger, and the Liver meridian.

I’ll save you the lengthy pre-recipe dissertation here. Suffice it to say that eating this green-forward dish is sufficient to soothe even the crankiest irritability while welcoming the new season in a beautiful and tasty way!

NOTE: The version I feature in this recipe is vegetarian; feel free to make appropriate swaps to suit a gluten-free, vegan, or carnivore-friendly palate.

Pea Pesto Pasta

Yield: 4 Servings

Pesto Ingredients:

• 2 Cups fresh basil, packed

• 1/2 Cup Italian parsley

• 1 Cup green peas (freshly shelled or frozen; if frozen, thaw before use)

• 2 cloves organic garlic

• 1/4 Cup toasted pine nuts

• 1/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 TBS lemon juice (usually enough from one medium lemon)

• 1/4 Cup organic extra virgin olive oil

• 1 pinch ancient fine sea salt

Pasta Ingredients:

• 12 oz durum wheat pasta (I prefer fusilli or farfalle shaped noodles for this dish)

• 1 clove minced organic garlic

• 1/4 Cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I like the jarred kind preserved in olive oil)

• 1 TBS organic extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Cup organic arugula, packed (don’t like arugula? Feel free to skip or substitute with your favorite green)

• 1 Cup green peas (freshly shelled or frozen; if frozen, thaw before use)

• Toasted pine nuts, for garnish

• Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

• Ancient fine sea salt , for cooking the pasta

Kitchen Equipment:

• 12 Quart stock pot

• Food processor

• Large saucepan or cast iron skillet

Directions

1. Fill the stock pot 3/4 full with water, salt generously, and bring to a boil

2. In the meantime, prepare pesto:

   • To the food processor add basil, parsley, 1 Cup peas, 2 cloves garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, Parmesan, and sea salt. Pulse to combine. While the machine is running, add olive oil to the mixture through the top spout.

   • Continue pulsing to blend, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until pesto is fully combined. I personally prefer a chunkier pesto; if you enjoy a creamier version, keep blending until it reaches your desired consistency. Add additional water or olive oil as needed to obtain the proper consistency.

   • Taste to adjust seasonings as needed. Add more lemon juice, salt, or cheese to suit your tastes.

3. Once stock pot water is boiling, add pasta and a pinch of sea salt and cook according to package directions. Once cooking is complete, drain noodles reserving 1 Cup of cooking water, return to the stock pot (off the heat) and set aside.

4. After the noodles are drained, heat the large saucepan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.

5. Turn off heat and add cooked pasta and 1/2 of pesto. Toss to coat adding small amounts of reserved pasta cooking water as needed to ensure the pesto combines coats pasta evenly.

6. Transfer pasta mixture from saucepans to serving bowls. Serve warm with additional pesto on top. Garnish with arugula, pine nuts, peas, and Parmesan.

7. Enjoy warm! Leftovers are delicious cold an can be kept in the refrigerator 2-3 days (although this never lasts that long in my refrigerator because it’s usually devoured the next day). Have extra pesto on hand? Add it to your morning scrambled eggs or spread a thinly on a piece of toasted sourdough.

I hope you enjoyed this article, and enjoy your pea pesto pasta even more! Please feel free to ask any questions, and spread the love by sharing or pinning this post.

PIN ME FOR LATER

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products for your convenience, such as to items on Amazon. I may gain a small commission from purchases made through those links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!