Is it just me or do peas get a really bad rap? Maybe it’s the memories of the soggy peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes that were served in my high school cafeteria. Eeeek. Well today I’m wiping away the peas from the past and starting with a fresh slate, and FRESH PEAS from the farmers market! I’ve seen lots of beautiful Pea Pesto instragrams lately from all my favorite bloggers and I just had to give it a try. These people know what they’re talking about. It’s super healthy, quick, and easy to make and I can’t think of a more perfect springtime appetizer! You can literally use pea pesto in any dish – on a cracker or crostini, topped with some cheese or veggies, stirred into in your pasta, or as a delicious dip with chips and crudite. Can’t go wrong here!
I especially love how vibrant and green the pesto is. It just screams freshness. Mitch and I ate it by the spoonful and were so sad when we got to the bottom of the bowl. I know you’ll love it too!
If you are using fresh peas, you will need to blanch them to bring out the flavor and color before making the pesto. Blanching is super easy and only takes a couple minutes – all you need to do is put the peas in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes and then put them straight into a bowl of ice water (as seen in the video!). Otherwise, just use frozen peas and thaw them out before adding them into the food processor.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh peas, blanched (don’t feel like blanching fresh peas? Just use thawed frozen peas!)
2 frozen garlic cubes (or 2 fresh cloves)
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional for serving: whole wheat crackers, sliced cherry tomatoes, and basil for garnish
1. Add peas, garlic, basil, lemon, and Parmesan to your food processor. Pulse until combined. Do not over-pulse because we want it to have a nice texture.
2. Add olive oil, salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times.
3. Taste test to make sure it’s seasoned perfectly.
4. Scoop a spoonful of pea pesto onto each cracker and top with cherry tomatoes and anything else you heart desires: burrata, arugula, prosciutto, parmesan….
5. Enjoy!
