Super Food In Minutes30 Minutes

Super Green Pesto Pasta

Name: Super Green Pesto Pasta
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 50g (2oz) basil leaves; 30g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to serve; 50g (2oz) pine nuts, plus extra to serve; 1 large garlic clove; 85ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying; 2 courgettes, diced; 300g (10oz) frozen peas; 500g (1lb 2oz) fresh tagliatelle

You won’t regret making your own pesto over the shop-bought variety. It has so much more flavour and vibrancy that you may never buy it again.

Donal SkehanFrom the series · Super Food In Minutes

30 min totalServes 6Easy

Time30 min

Serves6

SkillEasy

ShowSuper Food In Minutes

Method

In a food processor blitz the basil with the Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic, season well with salt and pepper and gradually whizz in the oil until you have a glossy pesto.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the courgettes for 2–3 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the frozen peas and allow to defrost and warm through.

Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, then drain and add to the pan of veg along with the pesto. Serve with a scattering of pine nuts and Parmesan.

Cook's notes

Toast the pine nuts lightly in a dry pan before blitzing if you have a moment — it deepens their flavour and lifts the whole pesto.
Season the pesto well and taste it before it hits the pasta; the Parmesan and the pasta water both add salt, so build it up gradually.
Fresh tagliatelle needs only a couple of minutes, so have the pesto made and the veg in the pan before it goes into the water.
Don't skip the cloudy pasta water — a splash beaten through at the end is what gets the pesto clinging to every ribbon.
To make it veggie, simply swap the Parmesan for a vegetarian alternative.

Serve with A crisp green salad and some warm ciabatta, with extra Parmesan and toasted pine nuts scattered over each bowl.

Make ahead & storage Any leftover pesto keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days under a film of olive oil, or freezes well. The dressed pasta is best eaten fresh but will keep a day and is good cold as a lunch.

30 MinutesVegetarian

Recipe by Donal Skehan · From the series Super Food In Minutes · Photography © Appetite Media
Published 13 July 2026 · Updated 15 July 2026

Nutrition

Per serving

498kcal

16gprotein

52gcarbs

24gfat

Figures from the show's kitchen.

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