Easy Peasy Pea Pesto
Peas are known for many things, but my favorite is probably their vibrant green color and versatility in the kitchen. Believe it or not, you can use peas for more than a steamed side with dinner that your kids roll around their plates as you beg them to eat. Small but mighty, peas bring a lot to the table. They are high in fiber, a great source of protein, and have a high Vitamin C content.
Since it’s summer, I try to embrace light, flavorful meals that are quick and allow me time to spend my evenings outside, roaming around with the hubster. It’s also the perfect time to focus on cleaning out the freezer and using up canned goods before it’s time for me to start preserving this year’s garden bounty. I dug up some organic frozen peas in our freezer yesterday, so I decided to get creative.
I grabbed a lemon, pine nuts, and some curly parsley from the fridge. Tossed the peas into a colander to thaw under some cold water and headed to the garden to harvest some fresh basil. Before I knew it, I was adding lots of garlic and some extra virgin olive oil and mixing up some of the best pesto I’ve ever had. PEA PESTO? Um, duh! It’s going to knock your socks off! And a good thing too, because it’s summer and you don’t need socks.
Here’s what you need for this easy peasy pea pesto:
1 1/2 cups peas - You can use frozen peas and thaw them like me, or you can use cooled freshly steamed peas for your pea pesto.
1 lemon - Juice the whole thing, no seeds. The lemon really brings out the bright summer flavors of the peas in the pesto.
6 cloves of garlic - If you love it like I do, use 6. If you don’t, then you can cut down on how much you add to the pea pesto.
1/2 cup curly parsley, packed - I use curly because it has a milder flavor than flat leaf parsley. You can include the stems in your pea pesto, too! Don’t be wasteful.
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts - Yes, they are expensive but totally worth it and very easy to toast. Only toast the pine nuts until they are a caramel brown color and give off a light, nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn them - they are a crucial ingredient to the perfect pea pesto!
1 1/2 cups fresh basil - don’t be scared to use stems here, too!
1/2 cup of really good, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
A pinch of salt - I used pink Himalayan.
One 1/4 to 1/2 cup Robust Extra Virgin olive oil - For me, robust is key because it’s deliciously flavorful and makes the pea pesto have an unmistakable richness. Start with 1/4 cup and see how you like the consistency and go from there.
Here's what you'll need to do:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until mixed to the consistency you like. BOOM!
Easy peasy pea pesto at your fingertips, ready to be devoured.
You can spoon some of this fresh, pea pesto into a bowl for a brilliant crudit platter or mix it into your favorite pasta with freshly roasted grape tomatoes (top it with some of that Parmigiano-Reggiano and your family will thank you!).
But Heirloom Lady, how do use this tasty pea pesto? Naan bread pizzas on the grill of course!
Dip your fingertips into some olive oil and trace the outer edge of the naan bread to lightly coat.
Take a heaping spoonful of the pea pesto and rub around with the back of the spoon like you would if you were putting sauce on a pizza.
Top with shredded mozzarella, some herbed goat cheese, and grate some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano the over top.
Throw on the grill until toasted to your liking and until the cheeses are just melted.
Toss onto your favorite wooden cutting board, slice, and serve.
Got a picky husband? Me too! And he said this pea pesto was in the top ten dishes I’ve made…and we’ve been together for nine years, married for four as of tomorrow!
Give a try and let me know what you think. I can’t wait to hear from you!