Pea basil pesto handkerchiefs

I made this recipe very quickly on a weeknight and I rather liked it.

https://www.marthastewart.com/1538219/pea-pesto-handkerchiefs

Made with vibrant green peas, fresh basil, and curly lasagna noodles, this simple spring dinner looks beautiful when plated.

30 mins            15 mins            4

TOTAL TIME            PREP  SERVINGS

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces frozen peas

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

12 ounces curly lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces

1 cup ricotta, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet 5 to 7 minutes; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add peas and cook until bright green and tender, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Let cool slightly.

2. When cool enough to handle, add half of peas to a food processor with basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1 tablespoon water. Pulse until a paste forms. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Return water in pot to a boil; add pasta, a handful at a time. Cook according to package instructions, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Return pasta to pot; toss with pesto and reserved pasta water. Divide among 4 plates; top with remaining peas and more basil leaves and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Dollop with ricotta, drizzle with oil, and serve

My notes:
1. I used pecorino instead of parm.
2. I used the TJ's "gigli" pasta that basically looks like broken lasagna noodles. This might be good with bowtie pasta.
3. When serving with ricotta, make sure to sprinkle a little salt on the ricotta blobs.
4. The peas made the pesto stay a beautiful green for days afterward. It could however, use more basil for punch (or adhere to the recipe and serve with fresh basil, which I did not).
5. I really like the creaminess of this pesto-- it came together (with some finagling) in the blender and was delicious! TK said that he liked it but wished there was more of a basil punch.