Pea Pesto Pasta
This Sweet Pea Pesto Pasta is creamy, fresh, and ready in 20 minutes! Made with peas, basil, mint, pistachios, and parmesan, it’s perfect served warm or as a cold pasta salad.
Ingredients
Sweet Pea Pesto
- 1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 8 leaves fresh basil
- 4 leaves fresh mint optional
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pistachios, salted and roasted
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
Pasta
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios, salted and roasted
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, combine peas, garlic, basil, mint, parmesan, pistachios, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and water. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides occasionally as needed. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente (about 5–7 minutes). Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Transfer pasta to a large bowl. Add pesto and toss until evenly coated. Stir in peas, pistachios, and parmesan. Garnish with fresh basil. If needed, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve as a cold pasta salad.
