Quick and easy this sauce is freshness personified. Just picked snap peas and delicate pea shoots are the basis for this sauce that pairs nicely with ricotta gnocchi. Use you favorite small pasta.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup chopped Yellow Onion
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
⅔ cup low salt Chicken Stock
2 cups fresh Peas, blanched
½ cup Pea Shoots
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
½ cup Heavy Cream
½ teaspoon White Pepper
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Garnishes
1 cup Pea Shoots
¼ cup chopped Chives or Scallions
¼ cup sliced Almonds or toasted chopped Hazelnuts
½ cup julienned Cherry Tomato slices
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Prep
Shell snap peas and blanch in boiling salted water 3 minutes to just slightly cook. Remove from heat and place in ice bath to stop cooking. Drain.
Directions
Add onions to olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high. Cook until soft, take care not to brown or caramelize, about 4 minutes.
Add chicken stock and lemon zest and bring temperature to just a low bubble, do not boil.
Add peas and pea shoots to pan just to warm up and soak up the flavors, cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and process mixture in either blender or food processor until smooth.
Add back to saucepan and warm over medium low heat -- do not boil! This is intended to be a very fresh flavored sauce.
Add Parmesan Cheese and heavy cream, stir to melt cheese thoroughly.
Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Taste and add more if you like.
Remove from heat and serve with gnocchi or other small pasta.
Garnish with grated cheese, chives, nuts, and with generous amount of fresh pea shoots with a bit of bright fresh tomato slices. Why not add a drizzle of good olive oil.
Notes
You can substitute fresh frozen petite peas. Just don't blanch ahead of time, thaw, then warm in the stock mixture before blending.
Recipe by What about the food? at https://whataboutthefood.com/fresh-pea-sauce-for-pasta/