Penne with Edamame and Miso Pesto

1. Blanch the Veg

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, using about a tablespoon of salt per quart of water, add the edamame and blanch for about 2-3 minutes or until they're tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the water, and plunge the edamame into ice water to stop the cooking process.

2. Cook the Pasta

Bring the edamame water back to a boil and add the penne. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute less than the package instructions suggest. Drain the pasta after saving a cup of pasta water for the saucing step.

3. Make the Pesto

Combine the blanched edamame, miso paste, garlic, parmesan, a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper in the base of a food processor. Pulse a few times to create an even coarse paste. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until you have a smooth pesto. Taste for seasoning and reserve until you’re ready to sauce the pasta.

4. Sauce the Pasta

Add the drained pasta to a pan with 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and continue to cook and stir. Once the water is about 80% reduced, remove the pan from the heat and add a small amount of the pesto, stirring vigorously to start the emulsion. Stir in the rest of the pesto and keep stirring to maintain the emulsion. Work quickly as this pesto can turn brown if held hot for too long.

5. Serve

Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Plate and serve.