Pistachio Pesto Pasta With Sausage

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the parsley, 1/2 cup peas, the pistachios, garlic, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup cold water in a food processor. Pulse to make a coarse paste. With the machine running, drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil to make a smooth pesto. Set aside.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir, then cook as the label directs for al dente, adding the remaining 1 cup peas in the last minute of cooking.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Crumble in the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until crisp and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and peas and transfer to the skillet with the sausage; toss to coat. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese and pistachio pesto; toss well, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt and top with more cheese.

Photograph by Andrew Purcell