This dinner was so fresh and light tasting!  I froze the extra pesto in ice cube trays so next time I need a meal I can pop a couple pesto cubes into some pasta!

This pesto is amazing and it tasted just right with the wide linguine noodles. I found this delicious recipe on one of my favorite websites, MarthaStewart.com. I modified it slightly to suit my family’s tastes and to make more servings.   I also used almonds instead of walnuts.  I’ve tried them both and they are excellent.

Happy Cooking!  ~ Gena

Ingredients:
Makes 6 servings

• 4 cups frozen peas **
• 1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves **
• 1 cup almonds, toasted
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving **
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil **
• 1 t. sea salt **
• fresh ground pepper to taste **
• 16 ounces linguine **

** Ingredients are used in other recipes from This Week’s Menu, starred to help in your planning.  Types of cheese, broth and alcohol may vary.

Directions:

• To toast almonds, preheat oven to 350 F.  Spread on a cookie sheet in a thin layer and toast until fragrant, about 8 min.
• Meanwhile, fill a glass or microwave-proof bowl or a large skillet with a little water and 1 cup peas.  Cook for 1-2 minutes or until just tender.
• In a food processor, combine cooked peas, parsley, almonds, Parmesan, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water. Pulse until smooth. With machine running, slowly add oil until incorporated, about 10-20 seconds.
• In a large pan, bring water and a sprinkle of salt to boil.  Cook pasta until al dente, adding 1 cup peas 30 seconds before end of cooking.  Save 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
• Add pesto to drained peas and pasta (you will not need all the pesto, save the extra for Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese.)  Slowly add a little of the pasta water to thin the pesto and make a creamy sauce.
• Serve pasta with fresh grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!

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