An Easy Pea Pesto Crostini made with homegrown or market herbs and peas, make for the perfect spread over rustic bread for summertime meals.
Green Peas For A Creamy Pesto Spread
I can think of so many recipes to incorporate a fresh pea pesto recipe. Toss with cooked pasta on busy weekdays, for a quick dinner of pea pesto pasta.
Spread on a plate with perfectly sauteed scallops on top and a few homegrown pea shoots.Â
But nothing so delicious and simple as a spread over a great slice of bread, also known as a crostini.
So let’s get to the grocery store, farmers markets or your backyard garden and make some pea pesto!
Pea Pesto Crostini – Better Than Avocado Toast!
Whether appetizers, tapas, or cocktail goodies are what you’re after, pea pesto crostini is what you are after!
Something yummy to spread on, or between bread for a healthy lunch, an easy to-go meal or after school snack, or simply sipping something cool on your veranda with the perfect nibble.
My Pea Pesto Crostini, served warm or cold, is one of the healthiest, most colorful solutions to your quest.
Move over avocado toast because while pea pesto is just as creamy as avocados, peas are richer in protein, fiber and other minerals!
What Goes Into A Fresh Spring Pesto?
Pea pesto, with cilantro, a hint of chili, lots of lime and garlic, are definitely a scrumptious way to enjoy spring peas; or frozen peas, for that matter.
Pea pesto is easy to make, stores for several days in the fridge and travels well for to-go meals.
If I have made homemade bread, which I usually do, then my pea pesto crostini is going to be outstanding.
However a fresh baguette, sliced and lightly toasted, will work beautifully too.
Garden Fresh Herbs and Peas
Every year, when springtime inspires my cooking, I go out to my garden for simple ingredients and whip up great meals.
Many variation of a an easy pea pesto can include fresh basil, fresh or frozen peas and a few ingredients you probably already have.
For an extra measure of protein, to an already delicious pea pesto, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds or walnuts can be added.
Toss in a little parmesan cheese, just before serving, and you can take simple recipes and make them memorable.
What Is Pesto?
The real question; what isn’t pesto!
Originating in Italy, pesto is basically a paste, used to flavor a variety of foods. The word pesto itself, simply means ‘pounded’.
In ancient times, it would have been pounded with a mortar and pestle, kind of like a rock pressing against another rock!
What is being pounded? Often it is nuts, pounded into a paste, with fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil.
Fast forward to modern cooking; simply toss the ingredients into a food processor or blender, push a button and forget the pounding!
Pesto vs Hummus
Let’s face it, the most flavor enhancing ingredient in our kitchens, is Garlic and any creamy spread or dip, usually has garlic as a dominant flavor.
When garlic is used raw, it has an almost ‘hot’ bite to the tongue. Although, when garlic is roasted and used in recipes, the flavor is almost sweet and nutty.
If you are a hummus lover, chances are it’s because you love garlic and quite honestly I look at pesto as a delicious spring hummus!
Speaking of hummus, here are some of my favorite hummus recipes, remembering that my heritage is Syrian, and so I am taking liberties with one of our favorite dishes!
- Traditional Hummus – made the way my Syrian mama always made it, with tradition!
- Beet Hummus – with chickpeas, tahini, sumac, lots of garlic and sweet, earthy beets.
- Butternut Squash Hummus – with red lentils, tahini lots of garlic and roasted squash seeds on top.
- Pumpkin Hummus With Chili Oil – an autumn twist on a mediterranean classic with a splash of heat.
Crostini – A Cool Italian Word For Toast!
Let’s face it, toast is only as good as the bread that is being toasted.
While there are so many types of Homemade Bread dough that can be made into sandwiches or toast, my favorite for pea pesto is Potato Spelt Bread.
It’s dense, rustic and is perfect for toasting.
While I often use mint in my pea pesto, for this crostini I opted to use fresh cilantro, for a refreshing flavor that almost tastes like a salsa.
Pea Pesto Appetizers
One of my favorite ways to serve appetizers in spring and summer, is a pea mint pesto in a Wonton Cup with one shrimp per cup!
The only thing you need is to take wonton wrappers, pressed into muffin tins, bake for a few minutes and serve with a few tablespoons of the prepared pesto and a cooked shrimp.
Pea Pesto As A Main Course Meal
Seared Scallops Over Pea Pesto, with garden fresh peas, perfectly seared scallops, dotted with a rich beurre blanc to kick off my Spring and Summertime dishes!
There are three components to this decadent, flavorful, restaurant quality dish that you can make at home. They are each easy, so don’t be shy!
- Pea Pesto – blanched peas pureed with a hint of chili and fresh mint.
- Beurre Blanc – a rich sauce of white wine, cream and shallots.
- Seared Scallops – lightly dusted with smoked paprika and sautéed in butter.
Kids And Peas
So you say your kids don’t like to eat their greens?
Having grown fresh peas for the first time one summer, my grandkids had fun picking and opening the pods with me.
When they saw how much fun it was to grow and harvest peas, and not just buy them as the grocery store, they had a new interest.
Once I dropped them in boiling water for a few minutes, cooled and drizzled a bit of melted butter, they tasted them and realized how delicious peas are.
How To Make Pea Pesto For Crostini
Once the peas have been blanched, only enough to soften them (never cook the bright flavor out of them), the rest just happens in a food processor.Â
Toss all the ingredients into a blender or processor, and whirl until pureed.
Pea pesto is then ready to spread across your favorite homemade or bakery bread and ready to serve!
Any leftovers, simply freeze in small batches for future use, or perfect addition to soups and stews.
Ingredients Needed
- Homemade Bread is always a treat but a good local bakery bread would be lovely as well.
- Blanched peas, only enough to soften without cooking the color out of the fresh peas.
- Fresh cilantro pairs nicely with pea pesto though parsley or basil will too, your choice.
- Olive oil instead of other oils, brings out the earthy flavor in this pesto, after all, peas and olives go great together wouldn’t you agree!
- Lime juice or lemon, and be sure to grate some of the skin into the mix, as the skin of citrus has a lovely natural oil in it.
- Salt, finely grated sea salt or even a smoked salt would be nice.
- Garlic, freshly pressed, not garlic powder.
- Chili pepper or Chipotle powder, of which either will bring a bit of heat to the pea pesto.
Equipment Needed
- Blender, Food Processor, or immersion blender, whichever you have that will puree nicely.
- Cutting board and chopping knife.
- Spreading knife, not the type you might use to spread icing on a cake, but something with a short yet wide blade.
- Measuring spoons and a measuring cup.
- Cookie sheet to lightly toast the slices of rustic bread into a crisp crostini.
- Oven, either a conventional oven or a countertop toaster oven.
Easy Pea Pesto Crostini
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Saucepan
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups Blanched peas
- 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 tbsp Olive oil extra for crostini
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp Chipotle or chili pepper
- Crostini
- 4 Slices of rustic bread homemade
Instructions
- To blanch – place peas in a saucepan with just a few tablespoons of water and heat until the color turns bright green, about 3 minutes. Transfer the blanched peas with the other pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor. Whirl until pureed.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- To assemble Crostini, simply slice the bread, brush lightly with olive oil and place in the oven for just a few minutes until the bread feels lightly toasted, about 4 minutes.
- Spread the pea pesto onto the slices and serve.
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.