Edamame Pesto Pasta
Updated Feb. 16, 2024
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1(12-ounce) package frozen shelled edamame
- 1pound short pasta, such as fusilli, rigatoni or cavatappi
- 4garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1½packed cups soft herbs, such as basil, parsley or mint leaves (or a combination), plus more to serve
- ⅓cup roasted unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- ½cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 3 to 4tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), plus more for serving
- 3tablespoons nutritional yeast (or grated hard cheese like pecorino or Parmesan)
- Red-pepper flakes, to serve
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
587 calories; 26 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 465 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon or ladle, remove the edamame and place in a colander. Rinse under cold water, then allow to drain and cool.
- Step 2
To the same water (top it up with hot tap water if needed), add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, to a food processor or blender, add the cooled edamame, garlic, herbs and seeds and blitz for 8 to 10 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the motor running, trickle in the olive oil and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, and blitz until it resembles a thick paste. (It doesn’t need to be smooth; some texture is preferred.) Stir in 3 tablespoons lemon juice, nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice until you are happy with the balance.
- Step 4
When the pasta is ready, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Place the pot back on medium heat and add the edamame pesto, along with 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Stir until the pesto and water have emulsified, then add the pasta and stir to coat. If it looks dry, add just enough pasta cooking water for the sauce to look loose.
- Step 5
To serve, finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a scatter of red-pepper flakes and a few torn herbs.
Private Notes
Comments
Definitely requires you to adjust seasoning - it was quite bland to begin with. I wouldn't race back to make it.
I used a combo of parsley, dill, and basil and found this to be very flavorful! It was a bit too much sauce for the amount of pasta in my taste, so next time I will add half the pesto and pasta water first and adjust from there.
As a very slow and discombobulated cook, this recipe is quick and super easy. The recipe is a bit bland however, I still give it four stars because of the adjustability of ingredients to get the flavors you want. Healthy and fresh too!
DONT use the salted sunflower seeds used for snacking. I know the recipe says unsalted but there were none available at my supermarket so I used the salted kind, big mistake. They didn’t grind in the pasta and I had to spend 10 minutes fishing out sunflower shells. I know this is probably my fault, but I just wanted to let amateur bakers like myself know.
Agreed on extra flavors needed. Perhaps anchovy or white miso?
For whatever reason, my blender can handle making homemade peanut butter, but this pesto overheated it. Other than adding the zest of the lemon, I followed the directions, and the pesto came out very thick. The flavor is good, but it feels somewhat gloppy and heavy.