Pea and pesto spaghetti
A quick and easy midweek pasta dinner. Adding peas to the pesto gives a lovely natural fresh flavour. Use fresh garden peas, if you grow them, instead of petits pois. We have used cashew nuts instead of pine nuts, which is much cheaper and gives a lovely creaminess to the sauce.
For this recipe you will need a small food processor.
Method
Cook the peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again.
Place half the peas in a small food processor and add the nuts, cheese, garlic and basil. Whiz until finely chopped. Slowly add the oil, a little at a time and processing between each addition, until you have a paste consistency. Season with salt to taste.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Reserve 50ml/5fl oz of the pasta water before draining.
Place the pesto in a large non-stick frying pan, add the reserved peas and the cooked spaghetti and a little pasta cooking water. Toss everything together over a high heat until well coated.
Season generously with black pepper and serve with extra Parmesan, if using.
Recipe Tips
The pea pesto can be made up to 6 hours ahead.
In November 2023, this recipe was costed at an average of £4.58 when checking prices at four UK supermarkets. It is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard.