Author Notes
In Canada, the long winters can get us down. This year in particular, the cold, wet weather dragged on into the spring months. One weekend, I said, "Enough is enough" and set out to bring the spring into my kitchen! This is one of the recipes that came out of that!
This fresh recipe can act as an accompaniment to fish and meat or be used as a spread on some fresh crusty bread. Originally I used this pesto as a sauce for a spring inspired thin crust pizza, with fresh mozzarella cheese and beautifully vibrant green, spring asparagus. Sweet, flavorful and herbaceous, this easy recipe brings pesto to a whole new level. —Christina McMahon
Ingredients
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1 cup
fresh sweet green peas
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1 bunch
fresh Italian basil
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2
cloves of garlic
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1/2 cup
good quality extra virgin olive oil
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1 pinch
salt & pepper (to taste)
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1/4 cup
grated sovrano cheese
Directions
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This recipe can be done in the food processor or can be hand-chopped. I prefer the hand-chopped method, giving the pesto a more rustic feel. On a cutting board, finely chop the basil and run your knife through the sweet green peas, breaking them up.
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Add the basil and peas to a bowl with the two cloves of garlic (finely minced), the lemon juice, the extra virgin olive oil, the grated sovrano cheese and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix together well.
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If you are using this to top a thin crust pizza, like I did, when you are ready to assemble the pizza, spread the pesto on the dough and top it with your cheese of choice. I used Sovrano and fresh mozzarella which are sharp and salty, contrasting the sweet pea and basil mixture. Thinly sliced asparagus also goes well with the pesto.
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