A quick and simple pasta dish that makes use of fresh seasonal basil for the best flavour.
If basil and garlic are in season, grab some from a local market. Or, like me, pick some from the garden. Making homemade pesto is really easy, but if you’re not into it, there are lots of good quality jarred pestos you can buy just about anywhere. Store bought pesto isn’t exactly cheap but a little goes a long way.
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In general, fresh picked vegetables are the best kind. However, when it comes to peas, I prefer to use frozen. Why you ask? Well, during processing they’re blanched then flash frozen. So they keep their bright green colour and only need a splash into boiling water basically just to heat them up. If you prefer to use raw peas just toss them in with the pasta while it’s cooking for the last few minutes so they’re not too hard. Did you know raw peas sometimes “pop” while they’re cooking?
Does it matter what pasta you use for Pesto Pasta with Peas? Well, kind of. While I was testing this recipe I made it with plain old ordinary spaghetti. It had a nice colour and tasted great. But all the little peas laid in the bottom of the dish. So a small pasta that’s cup shaped is perfect. Like small shells. Or orecchiette which are like little ears. I used a package of Garofalo Cappelletti for my final version. You may think Cappelletti is stuffed pasta but these are not and are the perfect size and shape for the little peas to hang out.
A splash of cream is optional but it adds a little bit of creaminess without making Pesto Pasta with Peas too heavy. Use some cooking water too which helps season the dish and evenly distribute the pesto. Just scoop some out with a coffee mug once the pasta is cooked. You don’t need much for this recipe although with other heavier skillet based pasta sauces you can add lots more to help thicken the sauce. Like in Baked Pasta with Sausage and Peppers.
Serve Pesto Pasta with Peas with some freshly torn basil leaves and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. And fresh cracked black pepper if you like.
If you make Pesto Pasta with Peas, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 cups small pasta such as shells or orecchiette
- 1 Tbsp salt for cooking water
- 1 cup frozen peas rinsed to remove any ice
- ¼ cup homemade or store bought basil pesto
- 2 Tbsp cream optional
- fresh basil for garnish
- fresh shaved Parmesan for garnish
- fresh cracked black pepper optional
Instructions
- Bring large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente as per package instructions.
- When pasta is one minute from al dente cooking time, scoop out 1 mug of cooking water and add rinsed frozen peas. Cook for 1 minute. Drain.
- Add pesto and cream. Toss well to coat evenly. Add ¼ to ½ of the mug of pasta water in small amounts to help evenly distribute the pesto.
- Divide between 4 plates. Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan. Add fresh cracked black pepper if desired.
This is another great use for my already made pesto. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks Marilyn!
Yummy! We love pesto pasta. Thanks for the pasta tip!
Thanks Marion!