Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Printable)
Vibrant pasta with sweet peas, fresh mint, and creamy cheese for a fresh, light meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried pasta (fusilli, penne, or spaghetti)
02 - Salt for pasta water
→ Pesto
03 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed
04 - 2 cups fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
05 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 garlic clove
08 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
09 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
11 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Extra mint leaves
13 - Freshly ground black pepper
# Step-by-step:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - Combine peas, mint, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until roughly blended.
03 - With processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until pesto reaches creamy consistency while maintaining some texture. Season with salt and pepper.
04 - Toss hot drained pasta with pesto in large bowl, adding reserved pasta water gradually until sauce evenly coats noodles. Garnish with extra Parmesan, mint leaves, and black pepper. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The mint wakes up everything else in the bowl, making each bite feel like spring arrived early
- It comes together in the time it takes to boil water, perfect for those nights when takeout sounds too heavy anyway
02 -
- Overblending the pesto turns it into baby food, so keep some texture in there
- The pasta water is nonnegotiable, it turns a clumpy sauce into something that hugs each noodle properly
03 -
- Toast your nuts in a dry pan before blending, it makes a surprising difference in depth
- Taste the pesto before seasoning, Parmesan brings plenty of salt on its own