Pea pesto is one of my favourite variations of the Ligurian sauce, sweet garden peas, basil & pine nuts all feature in this delicious sauce.
It can be made with either frozen peas or fresh spring peas, takes less than 10 minutes to make and will store for up to 5 days.
A Perfect Summer Pesto
I adore pesto, it is a delicious, light and really versatile sauce!
The pea pesto is not my first rodeo here. I have a classic basil pesto, classic red pesto in a halloumi pasta recipe and pesto alla trapanese.
To keep it going, I also have a wild garlic pesto that is awesome with blue cheese, and I even use a rocket pesto as the base for my goat cheese pizza!
You should definitely free yourself from the shackles of basil, as pesto can be made from practically anything.
This particular little number has a wonderful sense of early summer, but can be made all year round with frozen peas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen peas?
Yes. In fact, I assume that you will be in this recipe.
Fresh peas are a true wonder of nature! But you need to use them really fresh, and if they are not, frozen peas are actually better for making this pesto.
Some people say you should make pesto in a pestle and mortar. Is it worth it?
Yes, but honestly, I do not make mine like that!
It is better because it bruises the ingredients rather than chopping them. This really gets the oils flowing in the pine nuts and basil.
I cheat by blitzing to start in a mini blender, then give it a couple of minutes pounding in the pestle and mortar.
How can I save pesto?
Fresh pesto will store in the fridge for 5 days.
You should place it in an airtight container and then cover the exposed surface with oil.
Serving Suggestions
As with all pesto recipes, this pea pesto is perfect folded through pasta.
The pictures in this post show it folded through spaghetti that is cooked until al dente. Then it is topped with the same golden breadcrumbs that I make in my smoked mackerel pasta recipe.
It would be a great alternative to pistou in my classic pistou soup, and it would be awesome spooned over my air fryer asparagus.
But get creative, it is ace as a dip for vegetables and spooned over tacos.
Slap a big spoonful on the side of a pork chop... But one of my favourite uses is to stick it in a toasted sandwich with mozzarella.
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Kettle to boil water if you are using frozen peas.
- Colander.
- Mixing bowl.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Mini blender or pestle and mortar, I prefer to use a combination of both.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
Pea Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g Garden Peas ¾ Cup
- 30 g Pecorino Cheese ⅓ Cup
- 30 g Pine Nuts ¼ Cup
- 15 g Basil Leaves ¾ Cup
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 50 g Olive Oil ¼ Cup
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
- If your peas are frozen, plunge them into boiling water for 60-90 seconds, then remove them and drop them into ice-cold water.
- Zest the lemon.
- When cooled, place three-quarters of the peas in a blender.
- Add the basil, pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic clove, black pepper, lemon zest and olive oil.
- Pulse blend until you have a rough pesto.
- You can place the pesto in a pestle and mortar now and work it for 2 minutes to really get the flavours flowing, but it is not required.
- Chop the remaining peas with a knife and add them to the pesto and stir to combine.
- Add lemon juice from the zested lemon to taste.