Description
This pea & basil-based pasta pesto is creamy, filling and flavor-packed! The sauce is made out of creamy cashews, green peas and served with fresh cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
To make the Pasta
- 200 gram pasta
- boiling water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot
- 250 gram cherry tomatoes
To make the Pesto
- 70 gram cashews
- 200 gram frozen green peas
- 2 cloves garlic
- 15 gram basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon / lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional Topping
- 10 gram cashews
- 30 gram arugula
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften. If you have a high speed blender you can omit this step.
- Soak the frozen peas in boiling water.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instruction.
- Meanwhile, chop the shallots and garlic into thin slices. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
- In a blender or a food processor, combine the soaked cashews, peas, garlic, basil, olive oil, lemon/lime, salt and pepper. Blend until you are left with a bright green and smooth pesto sauce.
- On a pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil and the shallots. Stir frequently until fragrant.
- Add the chopped cherry tomatoes in the pan and stir until well combined.
- Turn off the heat. Add the pasta and pesto sauce to the pan. Mix together until well combined.
- Serve the pasta pesto on a plate with the arugula and garnish with some cashews.
Notes
The recipe can be enjoyed hot or cold. Leftover of this tastes exceptionally well and can be stored for up to 4 days.
Feel free to switch the ingredients with what you have. Replace the cherry tomatoes with sundried tomatoes or bell peppers to increase your protein intake.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian