Pasta With Almond Pea Pesto Recipes

PASTA WITH ALMOND-PEA PESTO

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions, adding 1 package of peas during last minute of cooking time. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and peas, and return to pot.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, finely grind almonds. Add lemon zest and juice, remaining package of peas, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; process until well combined. With motor running, gradually add oil; process until smooth.
• Add almond-pea pesto to pasta; toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water (as needed) to adjust consistency of sauce. Season with salt and pepper; serve.

ALMOND-PEA PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook pasta according to directions. When there are about 2 minutes left on pasta, add one of the packages of peas.
• Drain the pasta except for about 1 cup of water, and then return the pasta and water to the pot.
• In a food processor grind the almonds.
• Now add the lemon zest and juice to the to almonds, along with the remaining package of peas, and the salt. Process again. You might have to scrape it down the sides after a minute to make sure it mixes evenly. If the taste is too strong, add more peas.
• Add the olive oil and process again.
• Now add the the sauce to the pasta, tossing it well and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Enjoy!

PASTA, PESTO, AND PEAS

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

ALMOND PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving pasta water if to be used instead of cream.
• Pour boiling water over peas to thaw and drain, place thawed peas with almonds and garlic in food processor and blend coarsely. Scrape down bowl sides, add oil, herbs and salt & blend gain to a medium thick paste. Season well with pepper.
• Spoon into saucepan with pasta & toss over medium heat, adding pasta water or cream, until heated through.
• Serve with topped with parmesan cheese.

EASY BASIL PESTO WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine basil, Parmesan cheese, almonds, olive oil, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Pour in more olive oil, with the processor running, until pesto is thick and smooth.

PASTA WITH CHOPPED PESTO AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small or medium skillet over medium, toast nuts, shaking the skillet occasionally until browned (try one to see), 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
• As the nuts cool, into a large bowl, grate the Parmesan on the small holes of a box grater (or pulse chunks in a blender).
• Add the garlic clove and a pinch of salt to the pile of nuts and coarsely chop the nuts and garlic together. Add a handful of the herbs and another pinch of salt, and coarsely chop. (Opt for forceful, purposeful chops as opposed to soft, timid ones.) Toss and smash the mixture every few chops. Repeat with the remaining herbs, salting at each step, until a wet, coarse paste forms. Stir into the cheese, then stir in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the peas to the pasta. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Add the pasta and peas to the pesto and stir to combine. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper, more oil and more Parmesan.

PASTA CON IL PESTO ALLA TRAPANESE (TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO)

Steps:

• Cover the almonds with boiling water for a few minutes to loosen their skins, then slip them off with your fingers when they are cool enough to handle. Try not to cut corners and use ready blanched almonds, as nuts quickly lose their flavour without their protective skins. Toast the almonds in a non-stick frying pan, stirring frequently for a few minutes until they are pale gold.
• Whizz the basil, garlic and a little coarse sea salt in a food processor and tip into a large bowl. Process the almonds, again with a little salt, using the pulse button, until they're the size of small grains of rice.
• Peel the tomatoes, de-seed by halving and squeezing over the sink, then chop into medium dice. Mix the tomatoes and the almonds into the basil and garlic, add the grated cheese and olive oil and mix well. Taste and season with pepper and - only if needed - a little salt.
• Boil the pasta in the usual way, taking care to keep it very al dente, especially if you are planning to serve it cold. The Sicilians are probably the most fussy of all Italians about pasta, and they are very quick to declare it scotta, which means overcooked. To judge when to drain the pasta, cut a piece of pasta open: when it has a tiny uncooked white speck at the centre, drain it. It will be perfectly cooked all the way through by the time you serve it.
• Drain the pasta but reserve a couple of ladles of the pasta water. Tip the pasta into the bowl with the pesto and mix it gently but quickly, so that the melting cheese is well distributed. Add a little pasta water if necessary so the sauce lightly coats each pasta corkscrew. The pasta can be served now, lukewarm, or at room temperature, but don't chill, as this dulls the heady aromas which are the joy of this dish.