My favorite alfredo sauce requires a little blending as it tends to get lumpy in spots if I’m not vigilant. But when my faithful G&E blender of 7+ years busted on me last week and we’d promised friends who are new parents a pasta meal later that evening, I was forced to improvise. Luckily I was able to make a few adjustments and even managed to IMPROVE my original alfredo recipe! Love it when that happens. This calls for new recipe sharing time. My alfredo is based with olive oil instead of butter and requires simple ingredients you likely have on hand right now. Pesto, parmesan cheese, milk, flour, garlic, veggie or chicken stock. That’s it! And it’s so creamy and delicious you wouldn’t believe it’s actually healthy. This version was inspired by springtime. The trees are lush, the flowers are in bloom, and the scent of freshly cut grass is in the air. About this, I couldn’t be more excited. My way of celebrating is by making a simple, light pasta with green peas – one of the only green things I’d eat as a kid. Sorry mom. This sauce is thick and creamy with tons of parmesan-pesto flavor, yet remains light. The veggie stock adds a nice savory boost that pairs perfectly with any pasta. I chose linguine as it’s my favorite canoodle, but any shape will do. How is there no blending or pureeing required? I add the flour and whisk it with the olive oil and garlic BEFORE I add any liquid. Then a spatula helps mash everything together so I can forgo any blending. Hooray for simplicity, no? While peas remain the primary addition to this pasta, you can also add some grilled chicken for more protein, or even some toasted walnuts or pine nuts for a little vegetarian staying power. I served mine with extra parmesan on top, a little garlic bread and the leftover peas, which I steamed and lightly seasoned. If this isn’t the perfect spring/summertime meal, I don’t know what is.
