food

Double Pea Pesto Pasta Bake

Pea lovers, this one’s for you - a creamy and vibrant green pesto made with Birds Eye Garden Peas.

food

Double Pea Pesto Pasta Bake

Pea lovers, this one’s for you - a creamy and vibrant green pesto made with Birds Eye Garden Peas.

Supplies

  • 150g Birds Eye Garden Peas
  • 100g washed baby spinach
  • 75g basil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 30g pine nuts
  • 40g parmesan
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 150g Birds Eye Garden Peas
  • 500g rigatoni
  • 250g ricotta
  • 10g parmesan
  • 15ml olive oil
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 15ml olive oil
  • 150g heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Pinch fresh basil
  • Pinch black pepper

Steps

  1. Make the pea pesto: In a medium pan, bring water to the boil. Once boiling, add the frozen Birds Eye Garden Peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water until cool to the touch. Reserve 150g of peas for the pasta bake.
  2. Add all of the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blitz until combined. Once blitzed, season to taste.
  3. Make the pasta bake: Preheat your oven to 200°C.
  4. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add 1 tsp salt. Once the water is boiling, add the rigatoni and cook for 13 minutes until al dente. Remove from the heat, drain, and place back into the saucepan.
  5. Add 250g of the pesto to the cooked pasta and stir through ¾ of the remaining cooked and cooled Birds Eye Garden Peas.
  6. Transfer ½ of the dressed pasta to a baking dish and scatter with ½ the ricotta. Top with the remaining pasta, ricotta, Birds Eye Garden Peas. Grate the parmesan over the top of the dish and drizzle with olive oil.
  7. Place the pasta bake into the oven for 10 minutes.
  8. To serve: Top the pasta bake with a drizzle of the remaining pesto and a final sprinkling of Birds Eye Garden Peas. Serve alongside the tomato salad.