Spring Pea Mint Pesto Pasta (Print)
Vibrant pasta featuring spring peas, mint, and creamy cheese in a fresh, satisfying sauce.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried pasta (fusilli, penne, or spaghetti)
02 - Salt for pasta water
→ Pesto
03 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed
04 - 2 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves
05 - ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
06 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 garlic clove
08 - ¼ 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
# How To Make:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the 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 the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches a creamy yet slightly textured consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Toss the hot drained pasta with the pesto in a large bowl, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce lightly coats each piece.
05 - Plate immediately and top with additional Parmesan, fresh mint leaves, and freshly ground black pepper.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant that takes reservations
- The vibrant green color alone makes people excited before they even take a bite
02 -
- Blending the pesto too smooth makes it gummy and sad, keep some texture in there
- The pesto thickens quickly as it sits, so always err on the side of a slightly looser consistency
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly into a cohesive sauce
- A splash of pasta water is the secret to restaurant glossy coating every single time