Pea Pesto Pasta
Say that 5 times fast! Okay, don’t, but do give this triple P meal a try.
A bag of frozen peas might seem a little uninspiring. But with just a few basic ingredients you can have a delicious and different pasta dish on the table in no time. Since it’s spring and pea season is roaring you could use fresh peas. Just be sure not to cook them for too long, because you don’t want to lose that beautiful bright green color and sweet pea flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- salt for pasta water
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 lb peas frozen or fresh
- 1 lemon zested
- 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese finely grated
- salt pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (optional)
Variations
- dill instead of parsley and feta instead of Romano
- ricotta cheese instead of Romano
- cilantro instead of parsley and lime zest instead of lemon
- olive oil instead of butter
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil in heavily salted water. Cook spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- Melt butter in a pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and toss until you can smell it. About 2 minutes. Add the frozen peas, and 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Let the peas cook until the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest, parsley and Romano cheese and use a spatula or other flat kitchen implement to squish the peas roughly. Taste it and add a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper according to your taste. They don't have to be smooth, but you do want the peas to be squished enough to form a sort of loose pesto that will coat your pasta nicely.
- Once the spaghetti is cooked add it to the pan with the pesto and toss. Add water a few tablespoons at a time to help loosen the sauce so everything is coated.
- Serve hot with extra parsley and grated Romano. Squeeze a little lemon juice on it if you feel like it.
- Serve as is or for a little crunch add some crushed almonds or toasted breadcrumbs.
