Pea Pesto with Ricotta

Have you been trying to think of a new, seasonal spread that you can easily make at home? If that’s the case, then we have the perfect recipe for you!

Yield: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• ½ cup basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup mint leaves, plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound fresh ricotta
• Flaky sea salt, for garnish
• Toasted bread, for serving

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the peas, basil and mint leaves, Parmesan and garlic. Purée until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and process until you have a chunky paste, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread the ricotta on a plate and dollop the pesto on top. Next, swirl the pesto into the ricotta and garnish with basil, mint, olive oil, pepper and flaky sea salt, then serve with toasted bread.

Melissa Clark knows a thing or two about dinner, which is probably why she devoted her new cookbook, Dinner: Changing the Game, to the meal. While we serve this recipe for pea pesto swirled with creamy ricotta as an appetizer, you could also devour it as a main course. All you need is some crusty bread, and you’re good to go.

Clark’s original recipe calls for basil or mint leaves, but we love a combination of the two, so feel free to play around with the herb combinations. Tarragon or chives would also work great in this recipe. If you can get your hands on fresh peas, you can sub those in, too. Just be sure to blanch them for one to two minutes before processing. It doesn’t get easier or more delicious than this.

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