20 Great Ways to Dig Into Fresh Spring Peas

Spring pea season is brief but glorious. Here's a collection of our favorite dishes for savoring the fleeting harvest.

Want to know a little industry secret? 95% of the year, frozen peas will taste a whole lot better than the fresh stuff. That's because the moment you pluck pea pods from the vine, their sweet sugars begin to convert into starches. The difference between a fresh-picked pea and a day-old pea is easily noticeable (and we're talking both English peas, and their close cousin the sugar snap pea, though the former shows a more noticeable difference). So during the off-season, when fresh peas have to be shipped from faraway locations, by the time they reach your kitchen, they are bland, starchy, and not all that pleasant. Frozen peas, on the other hand, are flash frozen just after being picked, guaranteeing that they'll be sweet and tender when you defrost or cook them.

Luckily, now is that wonderful window, that five percent of the year when fresh peas are growing locally and hitting their peak—just be sure to buy the most recently picked crops you can get your hands on. Once you've got 'em, make sure to enjoy them right away, or check out our tips on preserving their fresh flavor. But even if your best option is the frozen stuff, we've got great recipes to make the most of the season, from stir-fries to salads to hearty pasta dishes and beyond.

Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs

This fresh verdant salad of blanched favas, peas, asparagus, and broccolini is enriched with runny egg yolk and a crunchy shallot-herb topping.

List Link: Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs

Stir-Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Oyster Sauce

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 a punch of flavor. Stir-frying the meat and vegetables individually guarantees a perfect cook, for optimal texture and flavor in each ingredient.

List Link: Stir-Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Oyster Sauce

Pasta With Snap Peas, Garlic, Lemon Zest, and Black Pepper

If you're looking for a quick and easy pasta recipe, try this tasty vegan snap pea number. A touch of cornstarch helps the sauce to emulsify into a silky pasta-coating texture without the help of butter.

List Link: Pasta With Snap Peas, Garlic, Lemon Zest, and Black Pepper

Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas, With Poached Egg and Lemon Zest Vinaigrette

A bit of knife work, a quick bath in well-salted boiling water, a cool down in an ice bath, and a few sparingly applied aromatics and seasonings, and you've got the essence of spring in a perfect, simple salad. Crunchy snap peas and fresh peas add double the pea magic, and a poached egg adds a finishing touch of richness.

List Link: Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas With Poached Egg and Lemon Zest Vinaigrette

Risotto with Spring Peas, Ham, and Fontina Cheese

Ham and fontina cheese add some salty funk to this simple pea-studded risotto. It's flavored with basil and lemon zest, along with a generous grind of black pepper. The resulting dish is creamy and satisfying, yet undeniably made with warm weather in mind.

List Link: Risotto with Spring Peas, Ham, and Fontina Cheese

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

The intense heat of a charcoal chimney starter will blister sugar snap peas without overcooking them. Serve as a snack at your next spring cookout.

List Link: Charcoal Chimney–Grilled Sugar Snap Peas With Buttermilk-Dill Dressing Recipe

Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto

Pasta with pesto is kind of the perfect potluck dish—it's easy to prepare, delicious at virtually any temperature, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This rendition calls for fresh peas, for a sweet twist on the classic.

List Link: Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto

Seared Cod with Peas, Pancetta, and Wilted Lettuce

Petits pois à la Française, or French peas, is a very traditional dish with many iterations. This version starts with pancetta and adds peas, parsley, lightly wilted lettuce, and a dollop of crème fraîche. Usually these peas are served as a side, but seared fillets of cod make it a dinner. There's a heartiness to it, but between the flaky fish and the vegetal nature of the peas, it's light and lively.

List Link: Seared Cod with Peas, Pancetta, and Wilted Lettuce

Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labne and Cucumbers

If you're located near a particularly good farmers market or well-stocked produce department, consider this springtime extravaganza. Fresh favas, asparagus, broccolini, and two types of fresh spring peas are blanched to perfection, then tossed with cucumber, arugula, sunflower seeds, and torn hunks of fresh mozzarella in a lemony Dijon dressing. This verdant medley is then spooned over a rich layer of labneh.

List Link: Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labne and Cucumbers Recipe

Stir-Fried Spring Vegetables With Black Olives and Sichuan Peppercorn

Asparagus, young favas, fresh peas, and morel mushrooms are combined with Chinese technique and flavorings for a unique dish that will brighten any table.

List Link: Stir-Fried Spring Vegetables With Black Olives and Sichuan Peppercorn Recipe

Pasta Primavera (Pasta With Spring Vegetables)

Combining a mixture of bright spring produce and a light but creamy sauce, pasta primavera is the ideal dish for a warm May evening. Kenji 's rendition of this modern classic includes a spring cornucopia of asparagus, fresh favas, broccolini, snap peas, and English peas. Crème fraîche make this version lighter and tangier than other recipes, and the toasted pine nuts add a lovely richness.

List Link: Pasta Primavera (Pasta With Spring Vegetables)

Cheesy Grits with Spring Vegetables

Creamy, cheesy grits are an excellent canvas for bright spring vegetables. Start with coarse-ground cornmeal and cook it low and slow in a combination of milk and water. Butter, sharp cheddar, and Parmesan cheese take the grits up a notch, and English peas, snap peas, fava beans, and asparagus that are blanched and butter-glazed make a tender-sweet topping. Top it with a poached egg to make things extra saucy.

List Link: Cheesy Grits With Spring Vegetables

Basmati Rice and Pea Pilaf (Peas Pulao)

This easy side dish will compliment any Indian dinner spread. The subtle, fragrant spices coat the rice, and the peas add a wonderful sweet burst to the dish. Fresh or frozen peas work equally well in this case.

List Link: Basmati Rice and Pea Pilaf (Peas Pulao)

Snap Pea and Radicchio Salad With Garlic Yogurt Dressing

Hearty radicchio is available year-round, but peaks just when sugar snap peas begin popping up. Luckily, sweet and bright snap peas are just what radicchio needs to tame its bite. Fried garlic chips add texture and flavor, and the garlic-infused frying oil is combined with yogurt, dill, olives, and olive brine.

List Link: Snap Pea and Radicchio Salad With Garlic Yogurt Dressing

Easy One-Pot Light Tuna Noodle Casserole

Classic tuna casserole is comforting and easy to prepare, but very heavy and by no means considered diet food. This equally easy but lighter version starts by cooking the noodles in the skillet before adding a sauce of crème fraîche, egg, and cornstarch. Add the stars of the dish to finish it off—tuna and peas—along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

List Link: Easy One-Pot Light Tuna Noodle Casserole

Asparagus and Sweet Pea Frittata With Minty Spring Salad

This simple pea and asparagus frittata is a quintessential spring dish that's as perfect for breakfast as it is a light lunch, snack, or dinner. Served with a bright, fresh salad with pea tendrils, it becomes a quick and easy meal in its own right. Serve the frittata warm or at room temperature.

Get the recipe for Asparagus and Sweet Pea Frittata With Minty Spring Salad »

Peas and Carrots Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds

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.

List Link: Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds

Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta

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.

List Link: Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta

Stir-Fried Snap Peas and Mushrooms with Fish Sauce and Basil

Snap peas are sweet, crunchy, and tender, and with a hint of smoky char from the wok, they're an ideal candidate for vegetable stir-fries. Mushrooms aren't so bad either, and together, along with a simple sauce, they make a quick and flavorful side dish.

List Link: Stir-Fried Snap Peas and Mushrooms With Fish Sauce and Basil

Pasta Prosciutto e Piselli (Creamy Pasta With Prosciutto Cotto and Peas)

Spring peas might be showing up in produce departments and farmers markets, but that doesn't mean the time for cozy comfort food has passed. If a chill in the air persists, try whipping up this classic pasta dish.

List Link: Pasta Prosciutto e Piselli (Creamy Pasta With Prosciutto Cotto and Peas)

May 2015

Read the original article on Serious Eats .