Pistachio Pea Pesto Pasta

That’s a lot of P’s. This is another quick pasta recipe from my Instagram stories, where I foraged through my refrigerator and pantry to come up with a meal for lunch. It was a big hit. I don’t normally sit down and eat lunch because the morning and afternoons are when I test recipes, so I take bites here and there of everything. But when this pasta was done, I couldn’t help it. It is so delicious, and the kids agree! They made me promise to save some for Dada, so I had to put my fork away.

Chunky, green pistachios add a uniqueness to the fresh spring flavors in this pesto. A zesty lemon enhances the light sweetness of peas and nutty, savory parmesan. When turned into a sauce for pasta, this pesto pasta becomes a bright and flavorful meal celebrating the crispness of spring.

You can use any type of pasta that you have on hand, and you don’t even need fresh peas to make the pesto! My pea plants never do well anyway, and I almost always have peas in the freezer! Serve warm and add a ton of freshly cracked pepper.

Pistachio Pea Pesto Pasta

---

• Author: Jessica Kuhlman
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Chunky, green pistachios add a uniqueness to the fresh spring flavors in this pesto. A zesty lemon enhances the light sweetness of peas and nutty, savory parmesan. When turned into a sauce for pasta, this pesto pasta becomes a bright and flavorful meal celebrating the crispness of spring.

---

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

pesto: 

• 1/2 cup shelled and raw pistachios
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 cup peas
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

pasta: 

• 1 lb pasta of choice, cook according to package directions
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• sea salt to taste
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste

---

Instructions

1. Add all pest ingredients, except for olive oil, in a blender. Blend and drizzle a little olive oil at a time until it is the consistency you’d like.
2. Add to warm pasta and combine with tongs. Add some reserved pasta water until the pasta and pesto are mixed well. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of pistachios and parmesan.

---