Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Print View)

Pasta tossed with sweet spring peas, fresh mint, and creamy cheese for a bright, satisfying dish.

# 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 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 Directions:

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 of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, make the pesto: In a food processor, combine peas, mint, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, and juice. Pulse until roughly blended.
03 - With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is creamy but still a bit textured. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - In a large bowl, toss the hot drained pasta with the pesto, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce lightly coats the pasta.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan, mint leaves, and pepper.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • This pesto comes together in under five minutes and tastes like spring on a plate
  • The combination of sweet peas and bright mint makes ordinary pasta feel elegant enough for company
02 -
  • Over blending the pesto makes it gummy. Leave some texture for a better mouthfeel.
  • The pasta water is crucial for binding the sauce. Dont skip it or your pesto will slide right off.
03 -
  • Toast the nuts in a dry pan until fragrant before adding to the pesto. It deepens their flavor significantly.
  • For a vegan version, nutritional yeast replaces Parmesan beautifully and adds a savory, cheesy note.

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