Spring Pasta Salad with Pesto and Peas

Spring Pasta Salad with Pesto and Peas

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

As with most pasta salads, the ingredients here are flexible and you can definitely add other springtime veggies to it such as asparagus, green beans or artichokes.

Just promise that you’ll cook the pasta al dente (at least 1 minute before full doneness.) I like mine with quite a bite so it h up beautifully even after soaked up in the dressing for a couple hours or days.

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 lb / 453 gr rotini pasta (I used gluten-free pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup pesto (use my recipe to make your own pesto)

5 oz / 140 grams fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups frozen peas, cooked according to package directions (if you can find fresh peas, use those by all means!)

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again.

Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Combine pesto, spinach, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy. If it looks too dry or thick, thin in out with more water.

Add pesto, cooked peas, Parmesan cheese, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta and toss to combine.

Take a taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If it looks dry add more olive oil.

Serve at room temperature if possible.

Pasta salad can be kept for 3 days in an airtight container.