Mary Berry’s Spaghetti with Peas and Pesto
Mary Berry's pea pesto recipe is super simple to make, and a great option for a busy midweek evening. Peas will add a fresh sweetness to your pesto and the switch from pine nuts to cashews will add an extra creamy texture.
From the book
Mary Berry Cook and Share
120 recipes designed for sharing with friends and family
Recipe keys and menus to make event planning easy
From sharing platter dishes and classic bakes, to decadent brunch ideas and Sunday roasts
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Introduction
A quick and easy midweek pasta dish. Adding peas to the pesto gives a lovely natural fresh flavour. Use fresh garden peas, if you grow them, instead of petits pois. We have used cashew nuts instead of pine nuts in the pesto to give creaminess to the sauce.
Ingredients
| 350g (12 oz) | spaghetti |
| For the pea pesto: | |
|---|---|
| 250g (9oz) | frozen petits pois |
| 115g (4oz) | unsalted cashew nuts |
| 55g (2oz) | Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve (optional) |
| 2 | large garlic cloves, halved |
| Large bunch of | basil, roughly chopped |
| 100ml (3½ fl oz) | olive oil |
Essential kit
You will need: a food processor.
Method
Cook the peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again.
Place half the peas in a small food processor and add the nuts, cheese, garlic and basil. Whiz until finely chopped. Slowly add the oil, a little a time, until you have a paste consistency. Season with salt to taste.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Reserve 50ml (2fl oz) of the pasta water before draining.
Place the pesto in a large non-stick frying pan, add the reserved peas and the cooked spaghetti and a little of the pasta water. Toss everything over a high heat until well coated.
Season well with freshly ground black pepper and serve with extra Parmesan, if liked.
Mary’s Tips: Best made and served. The pea pesto can be made up to 6 hours ahead.
Not suitable for freezing.
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