This meal was inspired by some of my favorites: my fresh herb garden, my favorite color GREEN, my love for pasta and a recent trip to the cookbook isle at the bookstore! There are many variations on pesto but in the end they usually involve a leafy herb, some kind of nut, parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil. I added lime, mint and peas as well.

You’ll need:
2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves (about a cup, packed leaves)

1 handful of fresh mint leaves (about a 1/2 cup)

juice of a lime (about 2 TBSP)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pistachios

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or enough to form desired consistency

pasta of your choice, enough to make roughly 5 cups cooked pasta

In a food processor combine basil, mint, garlic, lime juice, cheese, pistachios and 1/2 cup of the peas. Drizzle olive oil into mixture while processing until coursely ground and forms a loose paste. set aside.

Prepare pasta according to directions and add peas in to water for the last 30 seconds of cooking time. Drain pasta and peas and combine with pesto. Serve warm or cold.