Spring Pea Pesto

I've mentioned my love of cooking shows on multiple occasions.  Not having cable has been easy for the most part, (we gave it up a few months ago because it was so darn expensive!) but I do miss the Food Network.  Luckily we have Hulu Plus and I can watch episodes of The Chew whenever I want.

The other day Mario Batalli made pappardelle with peas and parm.  It looked amazing.  I had some fresh peas that I bought at Trader Joe's so I decided to make my own pea pesto.  It varries a lot from Mario's but I promise, it's delicious!

Ingredients

2 cups fresh shucked peas (substitute with frozen)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (plus more)
1 pound fresh pappardelle
1 cup of fresh basil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add the peas and cook for 5 minutes.  remove the peas with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of ice water to preserve their color and stop the cooking process.  

2. Use the boiling water to cook your pasta.  Follow the instructions to make al dente pappardelle. Remember to salt your water generously.

3. While the pasta is cooking  drain the peas and add them, the basil and parm to a food processor and pulse several times.  Drizzle in about 1/4 cup of olive oil or enough oil to make a smooth pesto sauce.

4. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.  In a large bowl combine the pasta and the pesto add a little pasta water at a time until you get the desired consistency.  Top with more fresh parm and serve immediately.

Enjoy!