Quick Green Pea Pesto Blender Recipe

If you can boil water and operate a high-speed blender, then you can make this green pea pesto recipe! With shelter-in-place in full swing, everyone seems to be carb loading. Our house is no exception. It’s a pasta paradise over here! At least with this vegetarian dish, you know you’re filling those kids up with some legit goodness. And, this dish is great room temp. So, it’s the perfect pasta salad for those upcoming summer barbecues we’ve all been dreaming about!

*Added bonus: this recipe is NUT FREE and has a vegan option!

With just a few ingredients (including FROZEN PEAS!), you can make a beautiful Spring dinner that’s healthy, satisfying & full of flavor in just 15 minutes!

Green Pea Pesto for Picky Eaters

If it’s been a minute since your kids have voluntarily consumed vegetables, then this is the perfect recipe to bring them back into the fold. It’s a total crowd pleaser for a family full of picky eaters!

This recipe can even be used for little ones! If you’re looking for a green pea pesto for your baby to start experimenting with finger foods, then this would be a perfect option!

Simple Easy Ingredients

There are NO fancy hard to find ingredients in this recipe! Frozen peas, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan and lemon juice are all you need.

You can make this green pea pesto recipe VEGAN by subbing out the parm for Nutritional Yeast. It tastes just as delicious, and it won’t impact the recipe at all. We frequently do this at my house when I run out of parm, or when I want to feel extra healthy.

SIDE NOTE: This recipe is VERY forgiving. I completely forgot the basil once, and everyone still devoured it! So, like I said—crowd pleaser for sure!

If you’re looking for another SUPER EASY recipe try out this No Yeast Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough recipe!

Quick Green Pea Pesto Blender Recipe

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15 minute dinner recipe with frozen peas & lots of Italian flavor!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz Bag Frozen Sweet Peas Thawed
• 3/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1-2 cups Fresh Basil
• 3 cloves Garlic Minced
• 2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese*
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 cup Pasta Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Toppings

• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 cups Cherry or Grape Tomatos sliced
• 1 Ball Fresh mozzarella Pearls or Round cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes optional

Instructions

1. Set out the bag of frozen peas to thaw to room temperature. Or, if you're in a rush, then just pop them in the microwave for about half the normal time. Don't overcook. You want them to stay that beautiful bright green color!
2. Prep your pasta to boil while you're making the pesto. You can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking!
3. Add thawed peas to your high speed blender.*
4. Chop up your garlic cloves & add to blender.*
5. Add remaining ingredients and blend on high for 1 minute (or until completely smooth). If needed, add a few table spoons of the pasta water (or additional olive oil) to the blender. Careful not to add too much. You don't want it too runny.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, then drain ALL BUT 1 COFFEE MUG WORTH OF PASTA WATER. Just dip your mug into the pot before draining. Reserve the liquid.
7. Add drained pasta to a large dish. Pour the pesto over the pasta & mix well. No need to cook the sauce! Slowly add SOME of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
8. Top with extra parmesan cheese & any additional toppings of your choice. Serve immediately or at room temp.

Notes

• High Speed Blender - you can use a food processor in its place. I just find the blender to be a much easier appliance to manage!
• Garlic Cloves - you can replace fresh garlic with garlic powder here. Don't be shy, you can't go wrong with too much garlic! Plus, the sweetness of the green peas need a little boost! So, the more garlic the better! Go with 2 teaspoons. 
• Parmesan Cheese - You can use Nutritional Yeast instead of Parmesan Cheese. Sub out equal amounts.
• This recipe will make more than enough to serve with a one pound box of pasta. 
• If not all of the pesto is used for your dish, then you can save it in the fridge or even FREEZE to use at a later date! (Should keep for about 1 week in the fridge & 3 months in the freezer). 

Perfect Pesto

This beautiful spring pesto will make you feel healthier even when you’ve just downed an entire pasta bowl. It’s that fresh & good!

This recipe makes a LOT of pesto, so you’re going to have left over sauce. Just FREEZE IT! It thaws out beautifully.

This pesto also goes well on so many amazing things like roasted potatoes, grilled cheese, and even roasted chicken. Don’t forget this pasta salad can handle sitting out, so it’s perfect for those hot BBQ’s this summer!

Get a victory at dinner tonight with this easy to follow (hard to mess up!) veggie packed family meal.

We may be social distancing, but we can still connect! I’d love to know if this recipe worked out for you! Drop me a line in the comments below!

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