St. Patricks Day Pesto Pasta (Printable Version)
Vibrant green pasta with fresh basil pesto and seasonal vegetables, ideal for St. Patricks Day festivities.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 ounces penne or fusilli pasta
02 - Salt, for boiling water
→ Pesto
03 - 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
04 - 1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
05 - 2 garlic cloves
06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
09 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
→ Vegetables
10 - 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
11 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves
12 - 1 small zucchini, diced
13 - 1 small bunch scallions, sliced
→ Garnish
14 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Fresh basil leaves
16 - Lemon zest
# How to Make It:
01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as per package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, combine fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic cloves, grated Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.
03 - Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced zucchini for 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes just tender. Add the peas and baby spinach leaves, cooking for an additional 2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the peas turn bright green.
04 - Add the drained pasta and prepared pesto to the skillet containing the sautéed vegetables. Toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well coated, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary to achieve a creamy consistency. Fold in the sliced scallions.
05 - Serve the pesto pasta immediately, garnishing each portion with extra grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves, and a sprinkle of lemon zest for added flavor.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It's astonishingly quick to pull together, making even a busy weeknight feel like a special occasion.
- The vibrant green color and fresh flavors instantly transport you to a sunny Italian garden, no matter the weather.
02 -
- Never add pesto to a screaming hot pan for too long; the delicate basil can lose its vibrant color and fresh flavor surprisingly quickly.
- That reserved pasta water isn't just for thinning; its starch helps emulsify the sauce, making it incredibly silky and clingy.
03 -
- For an even richer, deeper pesto flavor, lightly toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes until fragrant before adding them to the food processor.
- Blanching your basil leaves for a few seconds in boiling water then shocking them in ice water before making pesto can help preserve their bright green color longer.