Pesto Pasta with Peas
A quick and simple light pasta dish with fresh basil pesto and peas
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 22 minutes mins
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Canadian, Italian
Servings 4
Calories 342 kcal
- 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
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.
Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 12.7gFat: 10.4gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.7gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 527mgPotassium: 197.3mgFiber: 3.8gSugar: 4.3g
Keyword easy pasta recipe, easy pesto pasta recipe, pasta with pesto and peas, pesto pasta, pesto pasta with peas, vegetarian pasta