Orecchiette with Pea Pesto Sauce
This orecchiette pasta needs a sauce to act as the perfect pairing. Nothing could be better than a pea pesto that's topped with lemon zest and asparagus for a bright, spring flavor!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz asparagus cleaned and trimmed
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 3 oz prosciutto
- 1 lb orecchiette
- 1 ½ cup peas frozen or thawed
- 1 cup prepared pesto
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese grated
- 6 leaves fresh basil torn
Instructions
For the asparagus
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut asparagus into bite-size pieces, approximately each spear in thirds. Spread on a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and place pieces of prosciutto over the top. Roast in the oven until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the prosciutto is crispy, 12-15 minutes.12 oz asparagus, ½ tbsp olive oil, 3 oz prosciutto
- Remove from oven and set aside until pasta is prepared.
For the pasta
- In an 8-quart stockpot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt. Pour in the pasta and return to a low boil. Cook until the pasta is al dente, 10-12 minutes.1 lb orecchiette
- Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Return to the stockpot and add the sauce (see below) and lemon zest. Stir to combine, adding reserved cooking water 1 tbsp at a time to achieve the desired texture. Add prepared asparagus and prosciutto. Top with fresh Parmesan and basil.2 tsp lemon zest, 2 oz Parmesan cheese, 6 leaves fresh basil
For the sauce
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Warm the peas with the pasta or in a separate saucepan. Cook the peas in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from water and combine with the pesto. Blend the pesto and peas together using an immersion blender or countertop blender.1 ½ cup peas, 1 cup prepared pesto
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 558kcal