Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish

Ready in 20 minutes

Freshly made pesto is a flavourful dressing for your pasta dish. Add some ‘in season’ green peas and top with walnuts or pinenuts for that added crunch.
Fresh peas work best in this recipe, however for convenience you can use frozen peas, thawed. This recipe serves 2 people as a main or 4 people as a side dish.

Ingredients

For the Pesto:

1 cup full of fresh basil or mint (or combination), plus more for garnish

1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons)

1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan

3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pinenuts, plus more for garnish

Fresh lemon juice, from 1-2 lemons

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

8 ounces pasta, cooked, drained and cooled

8 ounces of fresh peas or for convenience use frozen green peas, thawed

Method

Firstly, combine the herbs, garlic, cheese, nuts, and lemon juice into either a food processor or a bowl that you can use a hand blender with. Pulse several times until finely chopped. Slowly add the olive oil and continue to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Cook the pasta, as per the instructions on the packet.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and peas. Add the pesto little by little until salad is well covered. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Use the left-over nuts and herbs as a garnish.

You can pick up some great British peas in their pods from our Greengrocers.