Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
Easter feasting, feat. a pasta salad that is actually good! This zesty pea pesto pasta salad with kale, salmon and walnuts is one to adorn your Easter lunch table with, paired perfectly with a Fierce III Pinot Grigio. The acidity and dry finish of this ready-to-drink Pinot Grigio are ideal to balance the sweet pea pesto and oily fish.
Ingredients
- 350g pasta (I like spirals, rigatoni or shells for this one, but any short or long pasta would work)
- 150g walnuts
- 2 salmon fillets (200-300g)
- 50ml creme fraiche
- 300g frozen baby peas, defrosted
- 1 bunch parsley, leaves picked
- 1 large bunch (or 2 small packets) dill, leaves picked
- 70g lemon juice (from 1 large/2 small lemons)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch kale, stalks removed and torn up roughly
- 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
- 3 tbsp capers
Serves 6-8
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and roast walnuts for 6-10 minutes until golden (set a 6 minute timer and keep checking them every minute if they aren’t ready at 6 mins).
- Cook pasta until al dente in plenty of salted boiling water, strain and quickly rinse with cold water, then toss with some olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
- Increase oven temperature to 220°C. Lay salmon fillets on a lined baking tray, brush with créme fraîche and sprinkle over salt flakes. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Blanch baby peas for 1 minute, then refresh in ice water and strain. Set aside ⅓ of peas, and place remaining ⅔ in a food processor bowl.
- To the food processor bowl, add ¾ bunch parsley, ¾ bunch dill, 50g lemon juice, lemon zest, half your roasted walnuts, garlic, chilli flakes, a pinch of salt and 150ml olive oil.
- Pulse until you have a roughly chopped pesto (I like a little more texture in mine because it’s more interesting than a puree and resembles a traditional pesto done in a mortar and pestle).
- In a pan over medium heat, wilt kale slightly in remaining 50ml olive oil, then squeeze over some lemon juice and add to a large bowl with the pasta, peas, roasted walnuts, spring onions, capers and kale.
- Pour pesto over the pasta mix and toss until combined.
- Taste and season.
- Flake salmon into large pieces and gently toss through salad.
- Serve in a large bowl topped with remaining herbs.