A pretty pea pesto that also goes perfectly with Pasta! Not just fun to say, this meal is amazingly jam-packed full of vitamins and minerals, is simple and incredibly speedy to make, and is absolutely delicious!
With both macadamia nuts and pine kernels, this pesto is creamy, sweet, and a great source of mono-unsaturated fats that are essential for growing babies and children! With the added B12 boost from the ‘cheesy’ nutritional yeast, and the super-nutrients of the peas, this has got to be up there with one of the best quick meals you could feed your family, that everyone will enjoy! Who needs cheesy, salty pesto when you’ve got this!?
Serve it in lightly toasted pittas for a quick lunch time snack, and then use the rest the next day swirled through mini pasta shapes for baby, and wholemeal spelt spaghetti for you.
Ingredients
For the Pesto
200g frozen peas
50g macadamia nuts*
50g pine nuts*
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
130mls extra virgin olive oil
1 handful fresh basil leaves
Accompaniments
Pitta bread to serve, lightly toasted.
Or for pasta, use 150g wholemeal spelt spaghetti for two adults, and 50g baby pasta shells or hoops for 2-3 baby/child-size servings.
Method
- In a saucepan, simmer peas in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, or until peas start to rise to the surface. Drain immediately and leave to cool slightly.
- Put the nuts into a food processor and pulse until finely ground – but not too much!
- Add the peas and rest of the ingredients to the nuts and blend until ingredients come together, or until you reach the consistency you desire.
For pitta pockets: lightly toast mini pitta breads. Carefully slice pitta open with a knife and stuff with pesto. For little hands, press pitta down to secure contents and slice into fingers.
For pesto pasta: stir prepared pesto through cooked pasta and serve immediately. Garnish adult portions with fresh basil and red pepper flakes or sumac. We also love adding garlicky mushrooms and fresh cherry tomatoes to liven up this meal for adults!
* Although suitable from 6 months, remember nuts can cause an allergic reaction, especially in individuals with a family history of nut allergy, so should be introduced with caution.
Baby Loves Veg 
Good work 😊
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Thank you for reading!
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This looks delicious!
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Hope you enjoy making it, it’s so easy! You can add a little garlic if it’s for grown ups or if you have an adventurous little one! 😉
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Do you recommend petit pois or garden peas? For me this is THE essential consideration with peas…
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Hi Alex, we use garden peas in this recipe! Hope you enjoy!x
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