Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Printer-Friendly)
A light, fresh medley of peas, mint, pine nuts, and cheese tossed with tender pasta.
# 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 loosely packed fresh mint leaves
05 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (walnuts may be substituted)
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 garlic clove
08 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional 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 fresh mint leaves
13 - Freshly ground black pepper
# How to Make It:
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 - While pasta cooks, combine peas, mint, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, and juice in a food processor. Pulse until roughly blended.
03 - With processor running, slowly drizzle olive oil into mixture until pesto reaches creamy yet slightly textured consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Toss hot drained pasta with pesto in large bowl, gradually adding reserved pasta water until sauce lightly coats pasta.
05 - Plate immediately and garnish with additional Parmesan, fresh mint leaves, and black pepper.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The bright mint cuts through rich pesto in a way that feels surprisingly elegant
- It transforms everyday pasta into something restaurant worthy with almost zero effort
02 -
- The pasta water is not optional, it is the secret that makes the pesto cling to every bite
- Over blending the pesto makes it gummy and sad, keep it slightly textured for the best texture
03 -
- Toast your nuts in a dry pan until fragrant before blending for deeper flavor
- Taste the pesto before seasoning since Parmesan already brings significant salt