13 Fresh Sweet Pea Recipes to Make This Spring

20210301-pasta-prosciutto-piselli-andrew-janjigian-14 — Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian

There's a small window in the late spring and early summer when fresh peas are available. Sweet, tender, and grassy, they're delicious on their own, buttered, or incorporated into pastas, salads, and frittatas or quiches. There are frozen peas available year-round, but there's a certain thrill that accompanies finding fresh sweet peas at your local farmers market. It's almost impossible not to seize the moment and buy pounds and pounds of them—though, of course, you'll have to contend with shucking each and every one of them. Below, we've gathered our favorite ways to prepare fresh sweet peas, including stir-fries, salads, and hearty pastas. And if your best option is a bag of frozen peas? Go ahead and use them. We promise it'll still be delicious.

Pea, Olive, and Preserved Lemon Salad

Serious Eats / Jen Causey

When sweet spring peas are available, Serious Eats contributor Nargisse Benkabbou tosses them with briny olives and tart preserved lemon to make this simple salad. Gently blooming the ground turmeric and ground ginger in olive oil infuses the salad with the warm, earthy notes of the spices.

Pea, Olive, and Preserved Lemon Salad
Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

In this simple spring meal, blanched favas, peas, asparagus, and broccolini are enriched with a runny egg yolk and a crunchy shallot-herb topping.

Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs
Stir-Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Oyster Sauce

Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

For an intensely beefy and buttery steak stir-fry, use skirt steak marinated in soy sauce and wine. Sugar snap peas provide a fresh, light crunch, and oyster sauce adds savory depth. Stir-frying the meat and vegetables separately in the wok guarantees maximum heat for optimal texture and flavor in both ingredients.

Stir-Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Oyster Sauce
Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas

Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

A bit of knife work and quick bath in well-salted boiling water is all you need to capture the essence of spring. In this simple salad, a zesty lemon vinaigrette highlights the sweetness of fresh peas, while the runny yolk of a perfectly poached egg brings richness to balance it all out.

Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas

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Charcoal Chimney–Grilled Sugar Snap Peas With Buttermilk-Dill Dressing

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

The intense heat of a charcoal chimney started blisters and cooks sugar snap peas in record time, preserving their crispness and giving them a smoky char. Serve them with a tangy buttermilk and dill dressing for a refreshing snack or side.

Charcoal Chimney–Grilled Sugar Snap Peas With Buttermilk-Dill Dressing
Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labneh and Cucumbers

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

If you're located near a particularly good farmers market or well-stocked produce department, consider this springtime extravaganza. Blanch fresh favas, asparagus, broccolini, and two types of fresh spring peas, then toss them with cucumber, arugula, sunflower seeds, and a bright lemon and Dijon dressing for a vibrant, vegetal meal.

Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labneh and Cucumbers
Pasta Prosciutto e Piselli (Creamy Pasta With Prosciutto Cotto and Peas)

Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian

Ham, cream, and peas star in this cozy, comforting pasta that takes just 30 minutes to make. While this recipe calls for frozen peas, you can substitute with fresh spring peas if they're in season—just give them a quick blanch before adding them to the pasta.

Pasta Prosciutto e Piselli (Creamy Pasta With Prosciutto Cotto and Peas)
Pasta Primavera (Pasta With Spring Vegetables)

This popular spring pasta dish features a cornucopia of asparagus, fresh fava beans, broccolini, snap peas, and English peas. Using crème fraîche instead of traditional heavy cream makes the dish lighter and tangier, and helps highlight the flavor of the fresh vegetables.

Pasta Primavera (Pasta With Spring Vegetables)

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Cheesy Grits With Spring Vegetables

Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. Video: Serious Eats Video.

Creamy, cheesy grits are an excellent canvas for bright spring vegetables. For a simple but impressive meal, enrich your grits with butter, sharp cheddar, and Parmesan cheese, then top it off with crisp-tender spring vegetables and a poached egg.

Cheesy Grits With Spring Vegetables Recipe
Easy One-Pot Light Tuna Noodle Casserole

Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

This lighter version of tuna noodle casserole takes just 15 minutes to whip up—all you need are a few kitchen staples and some fresh or frozen peas. Don't skip the squeeze of lemon juice, which gives the dish a nice hit of acid.

Easy One-Pot Light Tuna Noodle Casserole
Asparagus and Sweet Pea Frittata With Minty Spring Salad

Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer

This simple pea and asparagus frittata is as perfect for breakfast as it is a light lunch, snack, or dinner. It's a minimal-effort meal that can easily be prepped ahead of time, and would be excellent with a side of fresh, seasonal greens.

Asparagus and Sweet Pea Frittata With Minty Spring Salad
Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Enjoy fresh spring peas in a delicious but straightforward way—blanch them along with some carrots, toss them with a quick vinaigrette, and sit them atop a flavorful goat cheese mixture. A sprinkling of toasted Marcona almonds adds buttery crunch and a drizzle of honey pulls it all together with an earthy sweetness.

Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds

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Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta

Serious Eats / Yasmin Fahr

This salad celebrates the transition from winter to spring by combining asparagus, snap peas, kale, and farro with a tangy vinaigrette, briny feta, and almonds.

Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta

May 2015

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13 Fresh Sweet Pea Recipes to Make This Spring

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