English Pea Pesto Pasta
By Chef Max Straczek
Who says pesto has to be made with basil? Not us! Here’s a quick, protein-packed pesto preparation…
15 min cook time
Serves 4
Why we like it
This vibrantly green pesto is not only delicious and nutritious (ya peas!!), but it can be made with simple ingredients that can be found year-round and is 100% vegan!
By using nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan, we've created a versatile vegan pesto with nutty, umami notes that you can toss with cooked pasta or gnocchi for a simple yet satisfying meal. You can also make our olive tapenade and include for extra flavour!
Or, you can get creative by adding your favourite veggies to create your own customized version... go beyond pasta by using it as a base for pizza...spread it onto toasted baguette slices...or use it as a dip for crudités like carrots, peppers, cucumber slices, or crackers.
Ingredients
Preparation Notes
We’ve created this recipe to yield 4 generous servings of pasta coated with pesto but feel free to double (or even triple!) the recipe without the pasta, and then store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-5 days... or keep it for a rainy day by dividing it into portions in an ice cube tray, freeze solid, and then transfer the cubes to a sealable bag for a rainy day or a fast fix from the freezer.
Making the recipe
Step 1
Pasta
- In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Once cooked to al dente, reserve about a cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and set aside.
Step 2
Process
- While the pasta is cooking, pulse the pumpkin seeds in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a clean bowl.
- Add the green peas to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- On a low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture has a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Briefly stop the food processor to scrape down the sides.
- Transfer the processed peas to a large bowl and stir in the ground pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast until combined.
Step 3
Pan & Plate
- Heat the reserved pasta water in a large pan over a medium heat.
- Once it comes up to a simmer, add a generous spoonful of the pea pesto, the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and, if used, the olive tapenade.
- Stir until combined, then toss in the cooked pasta.
- Season to taste and serve warm.
