Recipe: Pea pesto over whole wheat pasta

Green peas are a great source of folate, but you don't always have to serve them as the same old side item next to the meat and potatoes. Frozen green peas make a sweet and nutritious winter pesto, and they'll get you on your way to eating your five daily servings of vegetables.


Serve that pesto over whole-wheat pasta and you'll probably take care of two of your three recommended servings of whole grains (Because who really eats only one small serving of pasta for dinner, after all?)

Below is my quick recipe for green pea pesto. This makes enough for about six servings of pasta, depending on how big an eater you are. I love to saute whatever I need to use up from my veggie bin (onions and peppers are particularly nice) to add even more vegetables to the mix. In the summertime, slice some fresh cherry tomatoes and mix those in.

Green pea pesto over whole wheat pasta

2 cups frozen green peas
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or almonds
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 pound whole wheat pasta, any shape

Cook pasta as directed.

Place peas in a colander and rinse to thaw. Place peas in food processor with lemon, nuts, cheese and garlic. Pulse to form a paste. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and mix until pesto is a pale, consistent liquid. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed

Toss pesto with pasta. Add crumbled feta cheese (pasteurized, of course) or other sauteed vegetables if desired.