Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto Recipe

An easy-peasy ode to spring.

Updated June 14, 2024

A bowl of gemelli pasta salad with peas, pesto, and chopped walnuts — Serious Eats / Jennifer Segal

Why It Works

You can use fresh mint or basil or a combination of both for the pesto.
Chopped walnuts provide a nice textural contrast.

Fresh herb pesto makes a flavorful dressing for a springy pasta salad studded with green peas. Chopped walnuts add delicious crunch and fresh lemon juice brightens it up.

April 2012

Recipe Details

Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto Recipe

Prep 8 mins

Cook 12 mins

Active 20 mins

Total 20 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

For the Pesto:

1 cup packed fresh basil or mint (or combination), plus more for garnish
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pine nuts, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 to 2 lemons
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

1/2 pound (8 ounces) gemelli pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) frozen green peas, thawed

Directions

To make the pesto, combine the herbs, garlic, cheese, nuts, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta and peas. Add the pesto little by little until salad is adequately dressed. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Garnish salad with chopped nuts and chopped herbs, if desired.

Special Equipment

Food processor

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
501	Calories
26g	Fat
55g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	501
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	33%
Saturated Fat 4g	21%
Cholesterol 6mg	2%
Sodium 489mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate 55g	20%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 12mg	58%
Calcium 104mg	8%
Iron 4mg	22%
Potassium 294mg	6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.