One of my favorite dishes from my restaurant, GIADA, in Las Vegas. The tortellini is sweet and buttery, like fluffy pillows of pasta. In the restaurant version we hand-make the tortellini and stuff them with pesto inside, but in the home version, I've made it even simpler by using store-bought tortellini and turning the pesto filling into a sauce.
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Pea Pesto Tortellini

Servings

4

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

12 minutes

Image of Pea Pesto Tortellini

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/4 cup, thawed)
  • 1 clove garlic (peeled and smashed)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus 2 tablespoons for garnish)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for garnish)
  • 4 ounces pancetta (diced)
  • 1 pound fresh cheese tortellini pasta
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the peas, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper flakes. Pulse 3 to 4 times to roughly chop. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil until fully combine, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave the pancetta and drippings in the pan.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini until al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well reserving one cup of the pasta water. Place pan with the cooked pancetta over low heat.  Add the tortellini to the pan and toss with a rubber spatula to coat. Add the pea pesto, mint, lemon zest and lemon juice. Continue to mix gently with a rubber spatula, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce, until the tortellini is evenly coated. Serve topped with more Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
nut free