This Pea and Pine Nut Pesto was an experiment when I was out of basil; the results were fantastic and now it’s a regular at our table.
For this week’s #SensationalSides challenge from The Food Network I received peas. Normally I keep frozen peas in the freezer and serve them simply—quick, vibrant, and reliable. This time I experimented and turned those peas into a pea and pine nut pesto. It was a leap of faith that paid off: the pesto is delicious and has become a regular on our table.
I checked my archives and saw a few previous pea dishes—Crispy Shallots Fried Rice with peas and Peas with Bacon and Crispy Leeks—so I knew peas had potential beyond a simple side. This pesto works beautifully tossed with spaghetti and also makes a lovely crostini topping for an appetizer.
I’ve made plenty of basil pesto over the years, often using toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts when pine nuts get pricey. For this recipe I pulled a small amount of pine nuts from the freezer to get the authentic flavor. You only need about a quarter cup, so it’s an affordable indulgence. If you prefer, toasted walnuts can be used as a substitute with excellent results.
I wrote this on a morning with late spring snow outside my window. The dish feels just right for that kind of day—light and fresh with spring peas, yet comforting enough to enjoy while the last of winter lingers. Growing up here near the Rocky Mountains, spring arrives slowly, and meals like this bridge the seasons nicely.
The first time I finished the pesto I debated whether to cook a pasta dish late at night just to photograph it. A reader suggestion inspired me to make crostini instead: slices of garlic-toasted bread brushed with olive oil and spread with the pea pesto. It became dinner, and then breakfast the next day—I couldn’t get enough.
Honestly, I might prefer this pea pesto to basil pesto at the moment. It’s bright, slightly sweet from the peas, and rounded by pine nuts and Parmesan. Make a batch and decide for yourself—you won’t regret it.
More Favorite Pesto Recipes
- Italian Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts
- Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Almond Pesto
- Garlic Pesto Pasta with Carrots & Zucchini
- Easy Chicken Pesto Pot Pie
PIN IT! ‘Pea and Pine Nut Pesto’
Pea and Pine Nut Pesto
Barb
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces peas frozen peas, defrosted
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts toasted and cooled
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup olive oil
- Garnish with sliced mint leaves optional
Instructions
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Cook peas in the microwave for 3 minutes; drain and plunge into an ice water bath to stop cooking. Set 1/2 cup of peas aside if making the pesto spaghetti.
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Place the remaining peas in a blender or food processor with the garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until fully incorporated and creamy.
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Store the pesto in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.
To Make Pea and Pine Nut Pesto Spaghetti
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Cook one pound of spaghetti until al dente. Drain and reserve about two cups of the pasta cooking water.
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Toss the hot pasta with the pesto and add reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Stir in the reserved peas and heat for one minute to warm through.
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Taste and adjust salt (remember the pasta water is salted) and add freshly ground black pepper if desired.
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Serve immediately with extra Parmesan on the side and garnish with mint leaves if you like.
Nutrition
Love peas? Here are some more ideas from contributors to the Food Network’s #SensationalSides!
Succulent Fresh Fish and Spring Produce; Crowd-Pleasing Recipes Using 3 Varieties of Spring Peas; Pasta with Spring Peas & Pancetta; Sugar Snap Peas & Peppers; Peas and Cottage Cheese Curry; Sauteed Vegetable Frittata; 5 Ways Peas Are Better with the Italian Treatment.