For my tortellini with garden fresh pesto, begin by toasting a quarter cup of blanched or sliced almonds. Pop them in a dry cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring around often until they get a little golden color and are aromatic.
Wash a cup and a half or so of sugar snap peas pods. With a sharp knife, trim off the ends, pulling the hard “vein” off the edges. Cut each pod in half and set these aside for now.
In a pot of water, cook your tortellini according to package directions. Three minutes prior to them being done, toss in the pea pods and let them cook with the pasta for those final 3 minutes. Just before draining the pasta, scoop out a half cup or so of the pasta water. Set that aside.
Meanwhile, let’s make your pesto! Pick a cup of mint and a cup of Thai basil from your garden. You can use another basil if you like, but I like the peppery flavor of the Thai version. Discard any stiff stems. Give them a quick wash, pat dry with a paper towel, and toss them in your food processor.
Add in the toasted almonds, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest, a half teaspoon of black pepper, a quarter teaspoon of sea salt, and a roughly chopped clove of garlic.
Process this until finely chopped. Scrape the side of the processor as needed.
In a dish, combine 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of juice from your lemon. Whisk those together.
Turn your processor back on and slowly pour the oil mixture into the pesto.
Place your pasta and peas in a serving bowl. Add in your pesto and stir it all together. If the pesto is too thick, add a little of the pasta water as needed to help it spread over the tortellini.