New Potatoes With Pea and Parsley Pesto

New potatoes with pea and parsley pesto has become one of my favorite spring dishes. It’s flavor is fresh and lively with a delightful contrast in textures and flavors.

New potatoes with pea and parsley pesto: My new Spring Delight

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs we’re celebrating Spring ingredients.

Normally in spring I love new potatoes with green beans. In fact, that’s what we had with our Easter dinner.

The challenge for me was to come up with something different from the leftovers we’d been eating. We’ve had plates of leftovers and soup from the rest. The search was on for something different that could be made from ingredients I had on hand.

I found it in Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple cook book.

The only ingredient I couldn’t easily obtain was the preserved lemon. I’m anxious to make this again with both freshly shelled peas AND preserved lemon. For this dish I used frozen peas and addressed the lack of preserved lemon by adding more lemon juice and zest than called for in the original recipe. The green chilis called for can be had, but require a trip across town to the “Gucci supermarket.” A seeded jalapeno served as substitute.

The pesto by itself is delicious. It’s herby and lemony with a bite from hot peppers and the distinct flavor of peas. One could, if inclined, add some green onion for another spring flavor. Ottolenghi suggests adding sorrel to the parsley for another burst of lemony/sour flavor. I think a few mint leaves (just a hint) would also be a good addition… similar to this hot green relish from former IHCC featured chef Diana Henry

This is one of those side dishes that could easily be eaten on its own as a meal, perhaps with a fried egg. It also strikes me as a delicious change of pace from a typical potato salad. There’s no mayo to spoil and the flavors work well together at room temperature or slightly warmer.

Rick and I ate a portion tapas style, from a small bowl with a glass of white wine.

Have I sold you on this delicious plate yet? I hope you give it a try!

Find more Spring flavors featured in recipes from some of our favorite cook book authors at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

New Potatoes with Pea and Parsley Pesto

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Salad, Side Dish, Tapas

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds new potatoes, rinsed (or any thin skinned potato, cut into bite sized pieces)
• 1 cup loosely packed parsley or cilantro leaves (tender stems included)
• 12 ounce pack frozen peas
• ¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil or as needed
• 1 jalapeno or other hot pepper seeded
• juice and zest of a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Using your preferred method, cook the peas until just crisp/tender. (I cooked mine in the microwave as the package indicated.)

  Set aside about a third of the peas.
• Place the rest of the peas in a food processor equipped with a chopping blade. Add the peppers, most of the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt and pepper.

  Pulse until well combined and a rough paste has formed. Scrape the sides and add more oil as needed.
• Steam, boil or pressure cook the potatoes until soft. (I cooked mine in the pressure cooker with a cup of water on high for 15 min, then quick release. If you're using a different type of potato you'll want to double check the times for the instant pot.)
• Drain the potatoes as needed and add to a large bowl. Stir in the pea and parsley pesto. Crush and smash the potatoes with your spoon, leaving some intact. Stir in the reserved peas and parsley leaves.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes

If using freshly shelled peas you’ll need about 2 cups. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the peas for a minute or two before draining and proceeding with the recipe.

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