Pour the frozen peas into your colander while the pasta is cooking. When the pasta is ready, pour it in over the peas to defrost them.
Make the pesto while the pasta cooks.
Combine all of the pesto ingredients in the food processor, and pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. If it's too thick, you can add a tablespoon or two of water or more olive oil to get it to the consistency you like.
Assemble the pasta salad
Add the drained pasta and peas to a large bowl and toss it with the carrots, tomatoes, olives, and onions. Add the pesto to the bowl, tossing to coat everything really well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Chill until you're ready to serve, and toss again, just before serving.
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Notes
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.This recipe is naturally soy-free.You can make it nut-free by using pumpkin seeds instead of cashews for the pesto.For a gluten-free option, choose your favorite bite-sized gluten-free pasta.For oil-free, you can use my avocado pesto in place of the arugula pesto.