This is an old favorite of mine. I saw it a few years ago on Barefoot Contessa, and went out and made it. It’s REALLY good made with fresh basil. I’ve made it so many times that over the years I’ve tweaked the recipe. Lately I haven’t been too into posting full recipes (usually I just post a link to the recipe and a picture of my version), but today I’ll type out the recipe and directions since mine is a little different.
What You’ll Need:
A 12-16 ounce box of pasta (I like bowtie)
2-3 cups Basil leaves (you can use fresh, or you can buy it in a 4 oz. tube)
10 oz. of frozen spinach (defrosted and wrung dry)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove (or 1-2 tsp canned minced garlic)
1/2 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of parmasan cheese
1 1/2 cups of frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook your pasta, then rinse it under cold water to cool it.
In a food processor, puree the spinach, basil, mayo, oil, and garlic. Mix your basil mixture with your chilled pasta. Add the frozen peas and parmasan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Eat chilled.
If you’re a basil lover, you really need to try this recipe! It’s best made with fresh basil, if you can find a large amount of it for a cheap price! But the tube of basil works just fine if you want to cut out some of the work and cost (though if gives it a slightly different taste). How about that as a little green for your St. Patty’s Day!
