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Pea and Basil Spaghetti twirled on a fork

Spaghetti with Pea and Basil Sauce

This Pea and Basil Pasta is a fresh and bright take on a simple pesto sauce due to the heavy hand of basil in it. Because the sauce is blended, it's super creamy and velvety without any addition of heavy butter or cream.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g Spaghetti
  • 1 Onion (diced)
  • 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 2 cups Frozen peas (or fresh)
  • ½ cup Chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock or water)
  • 1 cup Basil (packed)
  • ½ cup Feta
  • ¼ cup Milk
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • Olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook your spaghetti until al dente.
  • In the meantime, add a tsp or so of olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat. 
  • Add your onions and garlic along with a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
  •  When your onions are soft, add your peas and chicken stock to the pan.
  • Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the peas are very tender and the water/stock has almost completely evaporated.
  • Add your basil leaves to the pan and give it a quick stir until they have just wilted.
  • Transfer everything to a blender or food processor along with the feta. Blend it all together until complete smooth. 
  • If it's too thick and isn't blending, add the milk and puree again.
  • Taste the sauce then adjust with the sugar, salt and pepper until it's how you'd like it. The sugar shouldn't make it sweet, but instead just enhance the natural sweetness of the peas.
  • If your sauce seems a little grainy still, pass it through a sieve to remove any lumps.
  • When your pasta is cooked, pour your sauce into a pan over medium-high heat and stir until warm and just starting to bubble at the edges.
  • Transfer your pasta with tongs straight from the pot to the sauce and toss to coat, allowing most of the water to drip away. Don't worry if you've brought over some water with your pasta, this is a good thing as the starchy liquid will help to emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta.
  • Continue to toss together in the pan until the sauce has thickened and coats the pasta perfectly.
  • Transfer to a plate and top with some fresh basil and parmesan if you'd like and enjoy.