Easy Fresh Spring Pea Pesto Recipes call for a springtime twist on sweet fresh peas and fresh herbs, for the best homemade pesto.
Pesto And Its Origin
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!
What Is Pea Pesto
While this iconic green sauce has its roots in Italy as a paste made with herbs, cheese and often pine nuts, there are so many other variations of pesto.
Pea pesto is my favorite take on a pesto sauce because it is more than herbs and yet still green.
The earthy creaminess of blanched peas, especially those just picked from the garden, lend themselves to a lovely sauce with few ingredients.
Green Peas For A Creamy Pesto Sauce
I can think of so many recipes to incorporate a fresh pea pesto recipe into, and it all started when I experimented with growing my own peas.
Toss pea pesto with cooked pasta, on busy weekdays, for a quick protein and fiber rich pasta meal.
Spread on a plate with perfectly sautéed scallops on top and a few homegrown pea shoots.
Homegrown Peas Are So Easy To Grow
Like I said, I can think of lots of recipes utilizing a delicious pesto mixture, so let’s get to the grocery store, farmers markets or your backyard and make some!
Growing peas, not unlike so many other homegrown ingredients we cook with, is relatively easy to do, just need a little space or a few deep pots.
Of course there are several types of peas we can grow but for much of my cooking, I plant English peas, also known as garden peas.
Harvesting peas from the pods when they are plump and full happens rather quickly once delicate flowers form on the plants, that turn into peas.
Easy To Grow Spring Garden Peas
Once the doldrums of winter begin to subside, I plant peas outside from seeds in a spot that gets morning sun.
As soon as I see leaves sprout from the ground, I place cages (like tomato cages), over small clusters of the sprouts.
By June, they are beautifully grown, hanging in clusters and just waiting to be picked.
Once shelled I have lots of peas to use right away or tuck plenty in my freezer for later in the year, with their fresh garden flavor.
What Goes Into A Fresh Spring Pesto?
Of course, fresh spring ingredients are what make the best pea pesto sauce.
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.
Added Protein To Pea Pesto Sauce
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.
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.
What could be better, unless you simply schmear the pesto on crostini or pita bread!
Easy Spring Pea Hummus
Having grown up making and eating hummus I’ve discovered numerous ways to make it different from the traditional hummus I grew up with.
Actually, I find hummus and pesto to be similar, simply by swapping legumes for nuts and some sweet peas.
I often serve a spring pea pesto, with lots of lemon juice and garlic, alongside homemade pita flatbread, and a glass of sparkling mint water, poolside all summer!
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 Spring Pea Pesto
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.
Toss all the ingredients into a blender or processor, and whirl until the puree is creamy and well mixed.
Pea pesto is then ready for a variety of recipes or simply freeze in small batches for future use.
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Peas are best but frozen peas will work too.
- Garlic can be used either raw for a bit of heat or roasted for a nuttier flavor.
- Spring onions bring a brightness to the overall flavor.
- Chili, in the form of a small fresh chili or a chili powder, depending on the level of heat you prefer.
- Mint, like the spring onions, adds brightness to the flavor of pea pesto.
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed, with some of the lemon zest.
- Olive oil of good quality in best in a sauce that is not cooked since you will taste the olive oil.
- Salt of your preference.
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan with a lid for blanching the peas.
- Slotted spoon for easy removal of the blanched peas from the saucepan.
- Garlic press to finely mince the garlic, raw or roasted.
- Citrus press for quick extracting of lemon juice without the seeds.
- Measuring cup and measuring spoons.
- Food processor or blender to puree the pea pesto sauce.
- Stovetop or burner
Easy Fresh Spring Pea Pesto
Equipment
- Food processor
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fresh Peas
- 1 Garlic clove
- 2 Spring onions
- 1 small Fresh Chili or pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Fresh Mint
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice and 1 small peel
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/4 tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 cups water boiling
Instructions
- In a medium size saucepan, over medium-high heat, drop the peas in to blanch for just a few minutes.
- Drain and transfer to a food processor, along with the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.
- The pea pesto is ready to serve, use with other recipes, or can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
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