Tagliatelle with Pea Pesto and Crème Fraîche
Tagliatelle pasta with lemony pea pesto, mint, and crème fraîche is the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket for weeknight dinners. This simple spring pasta delivers big, bright flavors and provides a perfect excuse to use up that bag of frozen peas in your freezer.
You only need 8-simple ingredients and about 20-minutes to make this quick and easy tagliatelle with pea pesto and crème fraîche! Frozen peas, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh mint blend into a delicious pesto-y sauce perfect for tossing with piping hot pasta.
Top your pasta with a dollop of crème fraîche and few turns of freshly cracked black pepper. This *fraîche* take on pesto pasta is not to be missed!
Tagliatelle, pronounced: ta·glee·uh·teh·lee, is a long, flat ribbon shaped pasta–similar to a fettuccini. It’s shape is great for holding onto thick hearty sauces. If you can’t find tagliatelle, the best substitutes would be either fettuccine or pappardelle, both of which are ribbon pastas.
Looking for the perfect pairing? Serve this fresh spring pasta alongside: Herb Salad with Shaved Parmesan or The Everyday Dinner Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe: tagliatelle pasta (or any ribbon shaped pasta, really) frozen peas, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon, olive oil and crème fraîche.
Recipe Steps:
Step 1. Cook the Pasta
This really is one of those recipes that can be made from start to finish in the time it takes to boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Before adding the pasta give the frozen peas a quick dunk, just for about 30 seconds to defrost them. Transfer the peas to a bowl and then cook your pasta.
Step 2. Make the Pesto
While the pasta is cooking blend the pesto ingredients together. You can use a regular stand blender or a food processor.
Step 3. Toss and Serve
Cook the pesto and and tagliatelle together briefly, just until everything is piping hot and the sauce and pasta are evenly distributed. Divide between bowls and top with a dollop of crème fraîche and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper.
FAQs and Expert Tips:
To put it simply, creme fraiche is the French version of sour cream. It’s a cream that has been thickened by the growth of bacterial cultures, much like yogurt. Sour Cream is s good substitute for creme fraiche, but you could also use a dollop of ricotta cheese, or even burrata.
If you’d like to substitute fresh peas you absolutely can you will just need to blanch them longer, about 90 seconds, then plunge them into an ice bath. Note: Out of season fresh peas can be pretty bland and lack luster. I highly recommend sticking to frozen if you’re outside the months of April-June.
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Tagliatelle with Pea Pesto and Creme Fraiche
Ingredients
- 1 lb tagliatelle pasta - or any pasta shape, really
- 2 c frozen peas
- 3/4 c loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 c olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 c creme fraiche
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the frozen peas into the water for 30 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to scoop them out. Transfer the peas to a bowl, and set aside. Bring the water back up to a boil and add in the tagliatelle, cook until just al dente, 8 to 9 minutes. Reserve 1/2c of pasta water before draining.
- In the meantime, in a food processor or blender, pulse together the peas, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, mint, lemon juice and zest. Continue blending, scraping down sides as needed, until thoroughly but still a little chunky, not uniformly smooth. A little texture is key. Taste and season with pesto with salt and pepper.
- In the same pot you cooked the pasta in gently fold the tagliatelle with the pesto and a splash of pasta water over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, just 3-5 minutes. Don't cook it for too long or the pesto loose it vibrant green color. Divide between plates, top each serving with a dollop of creme fraiche and few turns of coarsely ground black pepper.
Notes
- Tagliatelle pasta: pronounced: ta·glee·uh·teh·lee, is a long, flat ribbon shaped pasta–similar to a fettuccini. It’s shape is great for holding onto thick hearty sauces. If you can’t find tagliatelle, the best substitutes would be either fettuccine or pappardelle, both of which are ribbon pastas.
- Frozen Peas: IIf you’d like to substitute fresh peas you absolutely can you will just need to blanch them longer, about 90 seconds, then plunge them into an ice bath. Note: Out of season fresh peas can be pretty bland and lack luster. I highly recommend sticking to frozen if you’re outside the months of April-June.
- Creme Fraiche: To put it simply, creme fraiche is the French version of sour cream. It’s a cream that has been thickened by the growth of bacterial cultures, much like yogurt. Sour Cream is s good substitute for creme fraiche, but you could also use a dollop of ricotta cheese, or even burrata.
- Leftover pasta can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen up the sauce as needed.
This is so fresh and delicious!