Dear reader,
I hope this letter finds you in high spring spirits. As the blooms are in full swing, I wanted to share with you a humble, yet nourishing bowl of noodles, which was adapted from a dip I created years ago – Pea Pesto Pasta.
Pea Pesto is a fresh twist on traditional basil pesto, made with sweet peas, hazelnuts, lemon juice, and a load of fresh herbs. Easy to make, incredibly versatile, and pairs well with any variety of pasta shape and types. After months of hearty winter stews and soups, a light and fresh pasta dish is a welcome change. The sweet pea flavor combined with the bright lemon and herbs make for a joyous springtime meal. This pesto pasta can be made in 30 minutes or less from start to finish. So naturally, it’s a great option for a quick weeknight meal or a last-minute dinner party.
Of course, you can customize this recipe to suit your taste – using different shapes of pasta, adding extra veggies like spinach or zucchini, or swapping out the Nooch for Parmesan, if cheese is for you.
Enjoy this simple yet delicious dish that captures the flavors of spring in every bite.
Until next time,
Bridget
Spring Pea Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- large sheet pan
- Food Processor or Blender
- Large stock pot
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini pasta
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
For the Pesto
- 2 cups equal parts basil, dill, parsley, and mint-destemmed
- 1 cup peas, frozen and thawed or fresh
- ¼ cup roasted hazelnuts
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice – about one lemon
- 3 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white or yellow miso paste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
To Finish
- lemon zest and additional chili flakes for garnish, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Salty like the sea. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve ⅓ cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- When the oven is preheated, toss the tomatoes with olive oil. Make sure they are all well coated and glistening, then season with salt, pepper and red-pepper flakes. Roast until the tomatoes blister and slightly deflate, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are roasting away, combine all of the ingredients for the spring pea pesto in a food processor. Pulse until it is finely minced. Then, with the food processor running slowly, dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth. This should make about 1 ½ cups of pesto.
- Over low heat, combine the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, a few drops of olive oil, and ¾ cup of the pesto in the pot or dutch oven. Stir until it is just heated through, then gently incorporate the blistered tomatoes. Remove from the heat immediately. You want as little heat as possible on the pesto to keep the flavors fresh.
- Divide remaining pesto into the base of 4 bowls, then divide the pesto pasta among each bowl and garnish with lemon zest, chili flakes, and additional blistered tomatoes, as desired.
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