Pea and Pesto Pasta Salad

1 Pound Fusilli Pasta

1 Pound Bow Tie Pasta

¼ Cup Olive Oil

1 ½ Cups Pesto (Packaged or See Recipe Below)

2 Bags Wilted Spinach (cooled and chopped)

3 Tbs. Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

1 ¼ Cups Mayonnaise

½ Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Pound bag Of Frozen Peas (Thawed)

1/3 cup Pine Nuts

¾ tsp. Kosher Salt

¾ tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Cook pastas separately for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss pastas with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

Add lemon juice, mayonnaise, and the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta. Then, add the Parmesan cheese, peas, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Mix well, season to taste and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

¼ C Walnuts

¼ C Pine Nuts

3 Tbs. Chopped Garlic (9 cloves)

5 C Fresh Basil Leaves, packed

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 ½ C Good Olive Oil

1 C Freshly Grated Parmesan

Place nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube until completely mixed.

Jeff Zak Catering Plymouth, MI