Pea-Pesto Pasta with Herby Crunchy Breadcrumbs
"If you’re after an easy, fresh-tasting weeknight staple that can be thrown together from odds and ends in no time, then look no further. This pea-pesto comes together in about 15 minutes and uses store cupboard ingredients in a way you may not have thought of before. It can also be easily veganised if you have nooch - nutritional yeast - on hand". - Fliss Freeborn
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Fill the kettle completely and put on to boil while you dig out your ingredients.
Step 2
Put the peas into a heatproof bowl and pour over just enough of the boiling water to cover them. Add the rest of the water to a large pan, salt it heavily, and add your pasta, cooking as per pack instructions.
Step 3
Meanwhile, put the bread into the toaster, toast until dark golden brown, leave to cool for a minute, then tear into a blender and blitz to fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and the dried mixed herbs. Mix, then set aside for later.
Step 4
By the time you’ve done all that, your peas will have fully defrosted, and your pasta will be halfway there, so get cracking on the pesto. Drain the peas of their water, return to bowl and grate over 3/4 of your Italian hard cheese, roughly chop your garlic, zest in your lemon and roughly chop the mint.
Step 5
Using the same blender, or an immersion blender if easier, blend the peas with the lemon juice, garlic lemon zest, cheese and mint and drizzle in the olive oil, followed by around 50ml of the pasta water (if cooking for 4) to make a loose sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 6
Drain your pasta over the sink but reserve a mug of pasta water. Toss the spaghetti back into the big pan with the sauce and coat everything, adding the reserved pasta water if needed.
Step 7
Serve with the extra grated Italian hard cheese grated over the top, plus the herby breadcrumbs for added crunch and a few extra mint leaves.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
1tsp Dried Mixed Herbs 1x Sainsbury's Mixed Herbs 14g -
2 slices Stale White Bread, or any bread, toasted 1x Sainsbury's Soft Medium Sliced White Bread 800g -
300g Frozen Peas 1x Sainsbury's Garden Peas 910g -
50g Italian Style Hard Cheese, or other italian hard cheese (alternatively, use 4 tablespoons of nooch) 1x Stamford Street Co. Italian Hard Cheese 200g -
2 Garlic Cloves 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
1 Lemon, juice and zest 1x Sainsbury's Lemons -
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1x Sainsbury's Olive Oil, Extra Virgin 500ml -
400g Dried Spaghetti 1x Sainsbury's Spaghetti Pasta 500g -
10g Fresh Mint Leaves, picked 1x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Mint 30g -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g