Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Pasta Bella

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (141)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(141)

Cook Time:
12 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
12 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 12 min
Total:: 32 min

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Ingredients

3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto (packaged or see recipe below)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
JoAnn Las Vegas, NV 10-13-2009
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Really good!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Since this recipe made a lot, I made it for a pot luck. It was just the right thing and everyone liked it. I couldn't stop... eating it. My husband and I loved it.Read more
recipe Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Calandra Brookhaven, PA 09-28-2009
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very good
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for my husband who would never eat pesto because of the the way it looks and my 3yr old son. I do not have a food... processor so I used my mini chopper to puree the spinich and pesto. It did not puree completely but it chopped it to almost a puree. They both loved it and both of them had two servings. This is not something we would eat everyday but it will go in the make again pileRead more
recipe Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Brian Uniontown, OH 08-30-2009
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Packs a Punch of Flavor! :)
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Pesto-y good, with amazing knockout flavor. First time I made pesto, and it turned out great. Was surprised by the amount of... garlic, but actually worked well with the amount of pasta. Thanks Ina, the recipe was a hit.Read more
recipe Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Jonathan New York, NY 08-16-2009
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Perfect pasta salad to take to the beach!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I've made this many times and it never fails! I've taken to making pesto and freezing it so I'll always have it on hand. You... can buy jarred pesto sauce from Costco and it works just as fast and well. There are times when this recipe makes way too much so I just use a box of pasta and a few tablespoons of pesto and mayo with a box of thawed frozen peas. I've taken this dish to BBQs and the beach and everyone loves it! Great vegetarian alternative at BBQs.Read more
recipe Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Kevin Chapel Hill, NC 08-15-2009
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Could use a little color = SUN-DRIED TOMATOES!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This dish was great! I get a little bored with dish that lack much color, and boy was this an "Ode to Green." I added about a... cup of sun-dried tomatoes and it really spruced up the dish! I think it also helped balance out the pesto... I love the addition of mayo in this dish, definitely not something I would have thought to add to a pasta. Also, I used Michael Chiarello's Blanched Basil Pesto recipe which was great! It's a nice and creamy pesto... I used a mixture of sweet basil and lemon basil.... FTW!!Read more
recipe Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
veronica egg harbor township, NJ 08-03-2009
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Ina Never Disappoints!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Ina has given me yet another winning recipe for get-togethers. This was a delicious version of pasta salad, but different... from the staple pasta salads at bbqs. Thanks, Ina! Read more