Pesto Pasta with Peas

Yes, it’s technically spring. But. It snowed last night here.  So it’s not time just yet to delve into super springy recipes. Sigh.

So this recipe is a happy medium. The bright green color is a nod that spring weather is (hopefully) not too far away. It is still a warm dish though, so it is good for colder nights. (This recipe from Inda Garten is originally a pasta salad, so it can absolutely be eaten cold as well)

Ingredients:

Pesto:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• fresh pesto (see recipe below), to taste
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• Grated Parmesan, to taste
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add the fusilli and bow ties. Cook for 11 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. Add the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic to a food processor and process for 15 seconds.

Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper and process until the basil leaves are finely chopped.

With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the tube, processing until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.

Add the Parmesan and puree to combine.

Add the defrosted spinach and lemon juice.

Add the mayonnaise and puree to combine.

Add the pesto mixture to the pasta (you may want to add this little by little until you have the desired amount you want. I had about a cup of pesto left over). Top with peas and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper and top with grated Parmesan, if desired.

My boyfriend kept calling this dish Pesta and Pasto … because apparently that’s what he considers amusing. Anywho, this Pesto Pasta dish was really tasty!

I used a good 8 garlic cloves when I made this so it was a bit spicy to say the least, so I suggest using the 4 garlic cloves I listed above in the ingredients section.

This dish is nice and comforting but it makes me want spring to be here right now. Here’s hoping we don’t have much longer to wait!