Ingredients
kosher salt and ground black pepper
12 oz spaghetti
1 cup frozen peas, thawed, divided
4 oz fresh goat cheese (Chèvre)
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 Tbsp lime juice
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped mint, divided
Directions
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, use a fork to mash ½ cup of the peas to a coarse puree. Add the goat cheese, lime zest and juice, oil, half of the chopped mint, ½ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Using the fork, continue to mash until well combined; set aside.
To the drained pasta in the pot, add the goat cheese mixture, the remaining peas and ¾ cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss until evenly coated, adding more cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed so the sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the remaining mint.