I love basil pesto and frankly I do not make it nearly enough for our family. I am lucky that the kids really love enjoying pesto on pasta but in true mom fashion I decided that I wanted to sneak a little extra into our pesto for lunch one day. By combining peas and just a few other ingredients I was able to create this delicious and easy pea pesto recipe to use on toast, crostini or pasta in minutes!

Looks delicious right? Oh it is and even the kids like it. Guess what? They have no idea there is peas in this pesto. With the addition of the lemon and parsley I believe it tastes very similar to basil pesto. Now, we will not stop enjoying basil pesto but it is a great option for a fast lunch or dinner and using some frozen peas that have been sitting in my freezer for too long to admit!

Easy Pea Pesto – In Five Minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounces peas – if frozen defrost
1 bunch of parsley
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Grape Tomatoes (optional)
Pasta, toast or crostini

Directions:

1. If using frozen peas, remove from freezer and let defrost.

2. In a small mixing bowl combine the olive oil, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Carefully mix together.

3. Place defrosted peas in the food processor and pour the olive oil mixture into the food processor.

4. Carefully put a few small bunches of the parsley into the food processor.

5. Turn on the food processor until all chunks are removed. If you cannot fit all of the parsley into the food process continue adding it in as you blend.

6. Once completely blended you can add more oil if you want more of a sauce for your pasta but as is, this is a great texture for toast and crostini.

7. We add sliced grape tomatoes to our Pea Pesto and it is a perfect pairing!

Why Peas?

Okay I know you are all wondering this – WHY PEAS? I really love basil, basil pesto, basil on pizza, basil in salads, basil in soups, basil on bruschetta – I mean I could go on and on. So, why not just enjoy basil pesto? Well, because peas are really good for you. And if you are like me, you would rather have water for dinner than a side of peas. Blech! So, instead of having to choke those peas down as I make my kids eat them for dinner I found a WAY better alternative – make them into Pesto!!

Did you know that peas have 8 grams of fiber per cup? Yup! And the creamy weird texture that freaks me out is really perfect for pesto. Win win!

Easy Pea Pesto

By combining peas and just a few other ingredients I was able to create this delicious and easy pea pesto recipe to use on toast, crostini or pasta with out the cost of fresh basil.

Ingredients

8 ounces peas frozen - needs to be defrosted
1 bunch parsley
1 glove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

If using frozen peas, remove from freezer and let defrost.
In a small mixing bowl combine the olive oil, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Carefully mix together.
Place defrosted peas in the food processor and pour the olive oil mixture into the food processor.
Carefully put a few small bunches of the parsley into the food processor.
Turn on the food processor until all chunks are removed. If you cannot fit all of the parsley into the food process continue adding it in as you blend.
Once completely blended you can add more oil if you want more of a sauce for your pasta but as is, this is a great texture for toast and crostini.
We add sliced grape tomatoes to our Pea Pesto and it is a perfect pairing!

I hope you give this “out of the basil” pesto recipe a go. Sometimes it is hard to try new sauces, especially when trying to please your kiddos but this one is a must try!

What is your favorite way to enjoy Pesto?

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