This lovely, simple recipe was inspired by Tara O’Brady’s gorgeous debut cookbook Seven Spoons, the namesake offering from her celebrated food blog. Of course, when you here the words “pea pesto” your first impulse is to stop everything and make it. Lots of it. The ingredient list leaves lots of room for adaptation and experimentation, which of course, we love. Shelled peas, fresh herbs, lemon zest, garlic, grated cheese, and nuts make this pesto a fresh, brightly flavored base for dips, sauces or spreads.
You can use either fresh or frozen shelled peas with equal success, but heads up, the frozen version (defrosted, obviously) are muuuch less labor-intensive and profanity-inspiring, so guess what we’re using next time? There was some other “tinkering”, of course, due mainly to what was available at the store and on hand at home. Almonds were used in place of the pine nuts, parsley took the place of the pea shoots, and Greek yogurt took the place of the labneh—a strained Middle Eastern cheese that can be a scosche hard to find.
The original recipe also called for red chili flakes, but we were going for a clean, “welcome to Spring” vibe and didn’t want the heat of the pepper flakes to detract from that. The peas give this blend more body than a traditional pesto, and while you could add more olive oil to loosen it up for a great pasta sauce, as is it can be used as a spread for burgers, fish, chicken, or what might very well be the best grilled cheese EVER.
Here, we’ve used it as the base for a fantastic dip incorporating whipped ricotta and yogurt. Serve it with crudités, chips or crackers for a light, supremely refreshing party or cookout treat. The flavor profile can be adapted to suit your taste, but the mint/basil combo is pretty spectacular. If that’s not your bag, though, feel free to use other leafy herbs like tarragon, cilantro, dill, or lemon thyme. You really can’t go wrong here.
Also, if you have a legume allergy and can’t use peas, avocado is a great substitute. You’ll still get the added body, and the result is even creamier, believe it or not. Have fun with it and enjoy!
Adapted from Seven Spoons.
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into chunks
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 4 ounces (about ¾ cup) small peas, fresh or defrosted if frozen
- Handful of fresh parsley leaves
- Handful of fresh basil leaves
- Handful of fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- Grated zest from ½ a lemon
- Salt and Pepper
- ¼ extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Pulse the garlic, cheese and almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add peas, parsley, basil, mint, lemon zest, and salt and pepper (to taste). Process to a coarse paste.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the food processor back on and drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream. Adjust seasoning to taste then spoon pea mixture into a medium bowl and reserve.
- In the same, uncleaned processor, whip the ricotta, yogurt, and a pinch of salt, until fluffy. Fold half of the ricotta mixture into the pea pesto, then layer the remaining ricotta with the ricotta-pea mixture in a serving bowl. Fold gently with the tip of a spoon to swirl. Garnish with thinly sliced mint leaves and serve with crackers or vegetables.
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