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+ servings
Five glass containers filled with bow tie pasta, green peas, diced meat, roasted corn, and garnished with lemon slices and basil leaves, arranged on a light pink surface.
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5 from 1 vote

Pea Pesto Pasta

This bacon and pea pesto pasta gives you 5 packed lunches for under £5.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: meal prep
Servings: 5
Calories: 666kcal
Cost: £1

Ingredients

  • 900 g frozen peas
  • 500 g cooking bacon
  • 25 g mixed nuts
  • Handful of fresh basil
  • Juice of half a lemon plus wedges to serve
  • 250 g farfalle

Cupboard Essentials

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 190°C. To a foil-lined baking tray, add 700g of the frozen peas and all of the cooking bacon evenly across the tray. Pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, toast the mixed nuts in a large frying pan for around 3 minutes over a medium heat, then transfer to your food processor/blender.
  • Cover the remaining 200g of frozen peas in boiling water for the same amount of time.
  • To your processor, add the olive oil, fresh basil and the juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper, then pulse for a couple of bursts.
  • Rinse the peas to cool them down, then add them to your food processor. Blend until you achieve a pesto consistency.
  • Cook your pasta in heavily salted water, timer set to the packet time minus 2 minutes. Reserve a big mug of pasta water before draining.
  • Add your pasta back into your pan with a generous splash of pasta water, stir to combine, then add your crispy bacon and peas into the pan (you can reserve some to top if you fancy)
  • Divide into meal prep containers and top with lemon wedges and an extra crack of black pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Toast the nuts before blending. It only takes 3 minutes in a dry pan but it makes the pesto noticeably nuttier and more flavourful. Don't skip this step.
  • Reserve a big mug of pasta water before draining. The starchy water is key to getting the pesto to coat every piece of pasta rather than sitting in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Don't over-blend the pesto. A couple of pulses gives you a chunky, textured sauce with real body. Blend it too long and you lose that lovely vibrant green colour.

Nutrition

Calories: 666kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g