A simple yet satisfying and really delicious veggie pasta recipe using seasonal ingredients. Roasted pistachios, basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil make a delicious fragrant but nutty pesto. Salty capers, lemon zest, and a pinch of chilli flakes complement the sweetness of the peas. We have used whole wheat fusilli pasta but you can also try gluten free pastas such as red lentil or organic chickpea. If you prefer to go dairy-free, we’d recommend using a homemade vegan parmesan using cashews and nutritional yeast.
Make the most of the relatively short broad bean season. They are incredibly nutritious and an excellent source of soluble fibre, protein, folate, manganese, copper and several other micronutrients.
Broad beans have two layers of protection: the outer pod and the individual inner skin. The smallest, youngest beans definitely need only the outer pod removing before cooking. With larger broad beans, we prefer the pleasing but time-consuming task of double-podding (removing the skins as well), but you don’t have to! To shell, just split the pod open along its seam and squeeze out the bean. For 200g of podded/shelled broad beans, you will need around 600g of bean pods.
Here we have served our pasta with oven roasted Romano pepper for extra sweetness and because we just love them!
Pre-heat the oven to 200°c , roast the pistachio nuts on a baking tray for aronud 5-6 minutes until a shade darker. Put aside to cool.
When cooled, put most of the pistachios, basil leaves (keep a few for garnish), grated cheese, garlic and olive oil into a blender or food processor. Whizz into a semi-smooth pesto.
Cook the pasta according to the instructions. Add the peas and the beans for the last three minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking water.
Stir the pesto into the pasta, with the chilli flakes, capers, lemon juice and zest. Add some of the cooking water if needed. Check for seasoning.
Serve the pasta with remaining nuts (roughly chopped), shaved/grated parmesan, and basil leaves scattered over.
We have recommended using fresh beans and peas but frozen if you cannot find fresh. Here we have served our pasta with oven roasted Romano pepper for extra sweetness and because we just love them!
