Spring Green Pesto Pasta Salad (View Print Version)

Refreshing cold pasta dish with homemade basil pesto, fresh peas, arugula, and crunchy toasted pine nuts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz short pasta such as fusilli, farfalle, or penne

→ Pesto

02 - 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
03 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
04 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 garlic clove
06 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1/2 lemon, juiced
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Vegetables and Greens

09 - 1 cup frozen peas
10 - 3 cups baby arugula
11 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, extra
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Optional Additions

13 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
14 - Fresh herbs such as mint and parsley, chopped

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining. Rinse pasta under cold water until cooled completely and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, bring a pot of water to boil. Add frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
03 - In a food processor, combine basil, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, toss cooled pasta with pesto. Add reserved pasta water gradually to achieve silky consistency.
05 - Fold blanched peas, arugula, lemon zest, and extra toasted pine nuts into pasta mixture. Add feta and fresh herbs if desired.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional lemon juice. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It holds up beautifully at room temperature, so you can make it ahead without worrying about timing.
  • The pesto clings to every twist of pasta and coats the vegetables without feeling heavy or oily.
  • You can stretch it with more greens or protein and it still tastes balanced and bright.
  • Leftovers actually improve after a few hours when the flavors settle into each other.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta after draining or it will stick together in a gummy mass as it cools, and no amount of pesto will fix that.
  • Reserve pasta water before you drain, it's the secret to making the pesto cling instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Toast the pine nuts until they smell fragrant, but watch them closely because they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
  • Add the arugula at the last moment so it stays fresh and crisp instead of wilting into the warm pasta.
03 -
  • Taste the pesto before tossing it with the pasta, it should be bold and bright because the pasta and vegetables will mellow it out.
  • Use a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano in the pesto for a sharper, more complex flavor that stands up to the cold temperature.
  • If the pesto looks too thick, thin it with a little pasta water or extra olive oil instead of adding more lemon juice, which can make it taste too sharp.
  • Let the pasta salad sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so the flavors wake up and the arugula loses its fridge chill.
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