Why This Recipe Works

This quick-to-make pasta draws from the pantry as well as the freezer. Buzzing (thawed) frozen peas released their starch, which made for a creamy, nicely clingy sauce. Processing the peas with olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon, and dill created a bright, savory pesto-inspired mixture that beautifully coated the pasta. Cooking the pasta well shy of al dente and then briefly simmering it in the pea “pesto” (thinned with pasta cooking water) along with the tuna saturated the noodles with flavor. Stirring whole peas, extra fresh dill, and sliced Manzanilla olives into the sauced pasta added punchy freshness and bursts of green color.

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Before You Begin

This recipe uses the oil from the tuna can; do not substitute water-packed tuna. We like how orecchiette holds on to the sauce, tuna, and peas, but another short pasta like small shells or fusilli would also work. If pitted Manzanilla olives are unavailable, pimento-stuffed olives can be used.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, add tuna and reserved tuna oil to medium bowl. Flake tuna with fork. Set aside.

When water comes to boil, add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until barely al dente, about 8 minutes.

While pasta cooks, add 8 ounces peas, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons dill, lemon juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt to blender and process until peas are mashed, 30 to 40 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar halfway through. With blender running, slowly add olive oil and process until smooth, about 1 minute longer.

Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add pesto, tuna with oil, remaining 1¼ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1¼ cups reserved cooking water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente and coated in slightly thickened sauce, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 8 ounces peas. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer pasta to large serving platter or wide, shallow bowl. Garnish with olives and remaining 1 tablespoon dill and serve immediately.