Spring Pea Pesto Pasta Recipe

Prep: 10

Cook: 10

Total: 20

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 294 kcal

Spring Pea Pesto Pasta, a simple pasta with pesto and spring peas that’s tasty served warm or cold.

Kristina Todini, RDN

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound pasta fusilli, rotini, see notes
▢ 1 cup pesto sauce or pea pesto sauce
▢ 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
▢ 1 cup cherry tomoatoes halved
▢ ¼ cup fresh basil thinly sliced
▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 lemon
▢ 1 pinch salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

Cook pasta: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Typically this means boiling salted water and cooking pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.
1 pound pasta
Mix pasta: When pasta is done cooking, drain it and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add pesto sauce, peas, and cherry tomatoes and then mix to combine. Top with thinly sliced basil and a squeeze of lemon. Taste and add a sprinkle of salt, as needed.
1 cup pesto sauce, 1 cup peas, 1 cup cherry tomoatoes, ¼ cup fresh basil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 pinch salt
Serve hot or cold: If serving hot, serve immediately. If serving cold as a pasta salad, simply cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 30-40 minutes.

Notes

Add more protein: Use either whole wheat pasta or a protein-based pasta like red lentil or chickpea pasta (both are also gluten free). To add more protein you can also add chickpeas or white beans to the pasta ingredients.

Prep ahead: Prep up to 3 days ahead of serving. If you make your own pesto, you can make it up to 4-5 days ahead of making the pasta to reduce cooking time.

Leftovers and storage: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Do not freeze. To reheat, cook for 5 in a pan over medium heat or 60 seconds in the microwave.

Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is an estimate using all listed ingredients. This recipe uses all plant-based ingredients and it can be made gluten free by using a gluten free pasta.

Nutrition