Spring Pea-sto

Ingredients
1 lb penne pasta
1 bag frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
6 to 8 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves stripped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup (plus a little more) grated Parmigiano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil then season water with salt and cook penne to al dente.

Before draining pasta, reserve 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cooked-pasta-water

Place 1/2 of the peas in the bottom of a large serving dish.

Place the rest of the peas in a food processor with the pine nuts, basil, tarragon leaves, lemon zest, cheese and olive oil.

Add a little salt and pepper then process the pesto into rough paste, adjusting seasonings if necessary.

Pour starchy water over peas in bowl then add pesto.

Pour hot, drained pasta over the pesto and toss vigorously to coat and combine.

Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve with extra cheese.

**Side note: the pea-sto sauce freezes REALLY well :)