Pesto Pasta with Peas
and strawberry fennel salad

Name: Pesto Pasta with Peas
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup Pine nuts ((Sub walnuts if you're on a budget)); 4 cups Basil, loosely packed ((You can also mix up the herbs and use parsley or cilantro)); 1 clove Garlic, peeled; 2 oz Parmesan, grated; 1/4 to 1/2 cup Olive oil; 1/2 lb Shells; 2 cups Peas; 1 Lemon, juice of; 1 Fennel bulb, small, sliced; 1/2 pint Strawberries, sliced; 1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp Maple syrup; 2 Tbsp Olive oil; 6 oz Arugula ((Or sub your favorite salad green))

Active: 35 min Total: 35 min

Original

When spring and summer come around, we can't help but make big batches of pesto to spoon on top of everything. Of course, pasta is always our standby, and our paleo members will enjoy it with zucchini "noodles." Paired with a strawberry fennel arugula salad, we'll all be ready for the warm weather!

Cuisines

European - Mediterranean

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Pasta with Pesto and Peas:

Pine nuts - 1/4 cup ((Sub walnuts if you're on a budget))
Basil - 4 cups , loosely packed ((You can also mix up the herbs and use parsley or cilantro))
Garlic - 1 clove , peeled
Parmesan - 2 oz , grated
Olive oil - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Shells - 1/2 lb
Peas - 2 cups
Lemon - 1 , juice of

Strawberry Fennel Arugula Salad:

Fennel bulb, small - 1 , sliced
Strawberries - 1/2 pint , sliced
Balsamic vinegar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Dijon mustard - 1 tsp
Maple syrup - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
Arugula - 6 oz ((Or sub your favorite salad green))

Prep

Pine nuts (optional step) - Toast on a frying pan over medium-high heat until golden brown. It's also completely fine to skip this step.
Make pesto - Pulse basil leaves, pine nuts (you can reserve a few for garnish if you want), garlic, and parmesan in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil until you get a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Fennel / Strawberries - Prep as directed.

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Make

Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt generously and add pasta. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (118 ml) of the salted pasta water (for 4 servings - adjust accordingly if making more or less).
Return saucepan to medium heat. Add in peas and cook until warmed, ~2 minutes. Add in pasta with reserved pasta water. Toss with desired amount of pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with more parmesan cheese and pine nuts if desired.
Whisk together balsamic, mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Toss with fennel, strawberries, and arugula. Enjoy salad with pasta.

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