Pasta Pesto with Peas

I love to make recipes from Ina Garten.  This recipe is so simple and yet so delicious.  I have added the link to my pesto recipe for you to use here and removed the pine nuts from the salad itself.  Ina is local to Long Island so she fits in here at Homemade on Long Island.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound fusilli pasta

3/4 pound bow tie pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups pesto (packaged or http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-pesto.html)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Here's how:

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

Pasta cooling

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice.

Pesto, mayo and lemon

Add the mayonnaise and puree.

Mayo added

Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, salt, and pepper.

Parmesan, peas, salt and pepper added

Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pasta salad complete