Penne in Pesto with Sweet Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 and 1/2 cups English snap peas, shelled (about 1 and 1/4 lbs peas in pods)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling on top)
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground sea salt
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 lb organic brown rice penne
- 2 slices prosciutto (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh pea shoots (optional)
Directions
- In boiling salted water, cook the shelled peas for 1-2 mins. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process. Once peas cool, combine 1 cup of peas (set aside the other 1/2 cup) with basil, pine nuts and garlic clove in a blender or food processor. Blend until a paste forms – you will likely have to stop blending a few times to push some of the basil leaves down towards the blade. Transfer paste to a bowl and stir in the parmigiano reggiano, salt and olive oil.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until slightly over al dente (I prefer brown rice pasta a little softer than traditional pasta). Meanwhile, combine the zest of one lemon with the ricotta cheese. Drain pasta, toss with lemon-ricotta mix, sweet pea pesto and reserved peas. Drizzle olive oil and grate fresh cheese over top. Sprinkle crispy prosciutto bits on top for the hunters (bake prosciutto slices at 350° for 10 mins) or garnish with fresh pea shoots for the gatherers. Buon appetito!
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Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Recipe | %DV |
|---|---|
| Recipe Size 205g | |
| Calories 988 | |
| Calories from Fat 881 | 89% |
| Total Fat 100.4g | 126% |
| Saturated Fat 17.81g | 71% |
| Trans Fat 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol 27mg | 9% |
| Sodium 1808mg | 75% |
| Potassium 336mg | 10% |
| Total Carbs 9.23g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 2.4g | 8% |
| Sugars 2.14g | 1% |
| Protein 19.33g | 31% |
