A Fresh Pea and Mint Pesto

Tag : Fresh Carrot


Much as my 3-year-old son loves to help pop fresh peas from thepod, getting him to eat them is another matter.
But much experimentation has taught me that I can hide just aboutany vegetable in pesto and he will all but inhale it and thewhole-wheat pasta with which it is tossed. This has prompted somecreative pestos.
For example, steamed (or microwaved) shredded carrots can stand infor the more traditional basil to produce a beautiful and deliciouscarrot pesto. Ditto for cooked and cooled sweet potatoes orparsnips.
On the raw side, fresh baby spinach or chard also create delicious,veggie-rich pestos.
Traditional pestos call for fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and pinenuts pureed with olive oil, salt and pepper. But that basic formulais easily tinkered with, which is a boon for the weeknight cook.
Pesto not only is a picky eater's dream food, it's also a simpleway to add tons of flavor to pasta, meats and seafood (thinkgrilled shrimp or cooked chicken tossed with pesto then served overa bed of greens and tomatoes).
This recipe for pea and mint pesto is simple way to turn peas intoan appealing, cheesy sauce with sweet and savory notes. Fresh orfrozen peas work equally well (if frozen, heat briefly in themicrowave to thaw before pureeing).
To add a bit more substance to this pasta, toss in chunks of cookedchicken (warm or cold) or grilled shrimp. Also, consider swappingfeta for the Parmesan cheese.
Pea and Mint Pesto
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
1 pound ziti or penne pasta
2 cups peas (if frozen, thaw first), divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add thepasta and cook according to package directions. Drain, reservingabout 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then return the pasta to thesaucepan.
Meanwhile, in a food processor combine 1 1/2 cups of the peas,cheese, mint, chives, olive oil and lemon juice. Process untilsmooth, about 30 seconds. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the pesto and remaining peas to the cooked pasta and toss tocoat. The residual heat of the pasta will melt the cheese and makethe pesto smoother. If you prefer a looser sauce, add some of thereserved cooking liquid.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutrition information per serving: 338 calories; 109 calories fromfat; 12 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol;42 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 5g fiber; 511 mg sodium.