Pea Pesto. YES. I made a version of this a few years ago for a dinner party... people still email me for the recipe.

What you need

coarse salt and ground pepper
1 16-ounce package frozen peas
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame
¼ cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup Tessemae’s Lemon Garlic Dressing
12 ounces gluten free penne pasta

What to do

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and edamame and cook just until hot, about 1 minute. Scoop them out using a strainer (save the water for your pasta!) and run under cool water. (This will keep them nice and green.)

Place half of the pea mixture (about 2 cups) in your food processor. Add the almonds, Lemon Garlic, 1 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Process until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. 

Cook the penne in the large pot of water. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Return the penne to the pot and toss with the pesto and the whole peas and edamame that you set aside. Stir in the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and cook over low heat until everything is heated through. Serve, sprinkled with more almonds.

Tip: Experiment with alternative pastas. The one we used is made with soy and brown rice, so it’s gluten free. There are also tasty varieties made with quinoa, corn and whole grain wheat.

 

Serves 4