This Spring Pea Pesto Pasta (vegan) was inspired by the Smashed Pea Dip in Abra Beren’s cookbook, Ruffage. I made it recently and absolutely loved it. You can see it featured on the snack board in my last Instagram post. I loved the simplicity of it but mostly the fresh, bright flavors. It inspired this Spring Pea Pesto Pasta that takes on the flavors of pea, mint, and lemon from the dip, which I paired with walnuts and nutritional yeast to achieve the nutty and cheesy notes that you find in a traditional pesto.
You can use fresh peas or frozen peas for this. To cook them, all they need is a quick dip in boiling water. After the peas are cooked, half the peas and everything else goes into a food processor to make the pesto. The pasta goes into the exact same boiling water and is cooked until al dente. After the pesto and pasta are both ready, they are tossed together along with the rest of the cooked peas. If you have any greens in the fridge you need to use up or want to boost the veggie content of this pasta dish, add a couple handfuls of arugula or spinach that will lightly wilt in the hot pasta.
This is a great base to build on. Add roasted mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, grilled zucchini, whatever your heart desires! It’s also super quick and perfect for a delicious and healthy week day meal! The pesto sauce also gets even better with some time to hang out together so feel free to prep the sauce beforehand or make this for meal prep!
Spring Pea Pesto Pasta
Course: MainDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes10
minutesA fresh and bright take on pesto that highlights the flavors of sweet peas, mint, and lemon in this delicious vegan pasta dish.
Ingredients
2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
½ cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled and ends removed
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup fresh mint, loosely packed and roughly chopped
½ cup of olive oil
¼ cup non-dairy milk
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
14 oz. fettuccine or other preferred pasta shape
A couple handfuls of arugula or spinach (optional)
Directions
- Add 2 quarts of water and a pinch of salt to a medium-large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water is boiling, add the frozen or fresh peas to the water and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked peas from the boiling water and set aside. Don’t dispose of the water.
- Add pasta into the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, add half the cooked peas, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, fresh mint, olive oil, non-dairy milk, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of salt into the food processor or blender. Blitz on high for 1-2 minutes until mostly smooth consistency. If you’d prefer a thinner sauce, add non-dairy milk 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is achieved.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain pasta and add to a bowl with sauce and arugula, if using. Toss together.
- To serve, top pasta with red pepper flakes, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh mint. Enjoy!
Notes
- Add roasted mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, grilled zucchini, or any other preferred vegetables.
Leave a Reply