Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We will only recommend products we use, love or think are informative and helpful.
March 17th is a day everyone can be Irish, so they say. Since my mom’s birthday was on St Patrick’s Day and because we have a wee bit of Irish in our ancestry it was a big deal growing up. Having traditional food to celebrate the day is nice but this year, I want something a little different.
And since Pasta Pesto and Peas has green ingredients, I think it qualifies to be served on St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re not sure of my reasoning, you will still like the dish. It’s got lots of good-for-you ingredients like spinach, basil, pasta, nuts and of course, peas.
How to make Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Begin by grating the fresh Parmesan and squeezing the lemons.
Cooking the pasta
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 and drain.
Add the pasta to a bowl add drizzle with the olive oil.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
slightly adapted from: Ina Garten Food Network
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 homemade (recipe link)
- 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 pignolis (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
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, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
You might also like…
Each issue of our Newsletter is timely and helpful and jam-packed with food, crafts, occasional DIY, gardening and faith resources. Relevant and seasonal posts to inspire and guide you with current trends. Available only to those who request it, so please accept our invitation to stay connected and join the Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart community. Just click the subscribe button below.
Lynn says
Sounds like a great meal! Happy St. Patty's Day:@)
Ann Thompson says
I had an Irish grandmother but we never did much to celebrate St. Patrick's day. My opinion is that as long as it's green it qualifies