Pea Pesto

With all the pestos my family makes, this one really stood out. My family loves peas and we eat them all the time, so when I saw this recipe in the Salt Lake Tribune magazine I knew this would make it to my blog. Peas have a lot of vitamin K, manganese, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. They are often overlooked in studies which means only a little research has been done on them. Peas are stuffed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. This recipe is sweet and creamy. Use it for what ever you want because it is perfect for a lot of dishes!

Pea Pesto
1 cup fresh peas (English peas are good)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons pecans, toasted and cooled
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Blanch your peas.  Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes (this leaves them with a bit of structure).  If you want to prevent them from being overcooked, put them in an ice bath after boiling. 
2. Drain peas then add them to the ice bath (if using) and drain again. If you haven’t used an ice bath, let your peas cool to lukewarm before making the pesto.
3. Whirl the peas in the work bowl of a food processor with garlic, roasted pecans, 1/3 cup parmesan and salt until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil.
4. You now can use it for anything you want.

options:

-- Great on pasta. Boil an additional cup of peas to add to your finished pasta.

--serve with homemade ricotta cheese on bruschetta.

--freeze in ice cube trays so you can have the fresh taste of summer in mid-winter!