Pea and Arugula Pesto Pasta: A Fresh, Creamy Garden Pasta

Some pasta dishes feel instantly comforting, even when they are made with the freshest, lightest ingredients. This pea and arugula pesto pasta was exactly that kind of meal.

I used fresh peas and arugula from our garden, which made the dish feel even more special. Blended with walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, and a little lemon zest, they turned into a beautifully fresh green pesto that coated the pasta with plenty of flavour.

It was one of those simple plates that disappeared quickly at the table — my family absolutely loved it. From a food styling point of view, however, this pasta gave me a little more work than I expected.

When a Beautiful Green Sauce Starts Drying Too Fast

Green sauces are gorgeous to photograph. The colour is naturally vibrant and looks wonderful against a simple plate, especially with a little Parmesan and fresh greens added at the end.

But this particular pea and arugula pesto started drying surprisingly quickly once it was tossed through the warm pasta.

And when you are photographing food, those few minutes matter.

As I was styling the first plate, I found myself working much faster than usual. The sauce was beginning to lose some of its glossy appearance, and because I was rushing, I wasn’t completely convinced about the aesthetics of the final image.

So I did what food stylists often do when something doesn’t quite feel right — I styled another plate.

Interestingly, once I looked at both photographs later, I realised that both plates looked perfectly decent.

Sometimes styling can be like that. You spend so much time looking at every strand of pasta, every drop of sauce and every tiny garnish that you begin questioning things a viewer may never even notice.

Still, making the second plate allowed me to slow down, rethink the arrangement, and enjoy the process a little more.

And perhaps that is part of food styling too — knowing when to keep going and when to simply create another plate.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Pasta of your choice, 300–350 g
• Salt, for cooking the pasta
• Reserved pasta water, as needed
• Green peas, fresh or frozen, 1 cup
• Fresh arugula, 1½ cups
• Walnuts ⅓ cup
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup
• Garlic clove 1
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil, approximately ⅓ cup
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pasta water, as needed, 2–4 tablespoons

Method

1. If using fresh peas, blanch them briefly in boiling water until tender and bright green. If using frozen peas, cook them for just a couple of minutes.
2. Add the peas, arugula, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, and lemon zest to a blender or food processor. Blend while gradually adding the olive oil.
3. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little pasta water if needed and blend again until you have a smooth, creamy pesto. I like leaving just a little texture in the sauce rather than making it completely smooth.
4. Cook the pasta in generously salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve around 1 cup of pasta water.
5. Return the pasta to the pan and add the pea and arugula pesto. Add a small splash of reserved pasta water and gently toss until every strand or piece of pasta is coated.
6. Add more pasta water if required to loosen the sauce. Avoid cooking the pesto over high heat once it has been added. Keeping the heat low helps preserve its fresh green colour.
7. Plate the pasta while the sauce is still creamy and glossy. Finish with Parmesan, fresh arugula, lemon zest, black pepper and, if you like, a few crushed walnuts. Serve immediately.