A citrus pea pesto recipe made with cannellini beans. It’s fresh tasting without the need for seasonal ingredients and the perfect topping for pasta!

5 days ago the sun was out, birds were chirping, Ulysses was mowing the lawn, I was giving Ginger a bath outside and an early Sunday dinner of a fresh, pea pesto sounded delicious.

Citrus Pea Pesto

As I’m writing this, this is the weather forecast.

Citrus Pea Pesto

Mother Nature can be one sick biatch.

Yes, those are snowflakes. Oh, and look! They reappear on Saturday. How thoughtful of them. Today is my brother’s birthday, (Happy Birthday Adrian!) 27 years ago it was 90 degrees, or so my mother says, I don’t remember much when I was 2. Seriously New York? Get your shit together.

We (that’s me and you all) haven’t experienced a winter together yet but I’m giving fair warning, expect many references to how much I hate this God forsaken state for the next 6 months. It will chill us to the bone, look like a nuclear bomb went off outside, make me spend thousands of dollars in oil and keep me cooped up inside like caged animal. 5 days was not enough transition for me to mentally prepare.

I miss Florida.

Pea Pesto

Let’s go back to Sunday night instead.

How do you satisfy a craving for pesto when your basil plant has all but kicked the bucket? Peas and baby spinach! Oh, and some cannellini beans which kind of makes this a pseudo hummus but I’m still calling it pesto. It’s kind of got the best of both worlds actually. Fresh tasting like pesto, creamy like hummus. Sounds like the perfect topping for pasta, doesn’t it?

Other uses?

Dip some baby carrots in it, slather it on bread for a sandwich, use it as “dressing” for a salad, use it in place of mayo in a tuna salad.

I made enough for about a pound of pasta but then ended up only using about half a pound of an already open box so I got a bit creative with the leftovers.

Pea Pesto with Citrus

My favorite part about this though is that you get the satisfaction of a fresh tasting pesto without the need for seasonal ingredients.

This could end up being my form of therapy for the next six months. It’s a bit cheaper than a psychologist.

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you'll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
No ratings yet

Citrus Pea Pesto

Servings: 2 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
A citrus pea pesto recipe made with cannellini beans. It's fresh tasting without the need for seasonal ingredients and the perfect topping for pasta!

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 15 ounces canned cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 cup loosely packed baby spinach
  • 1 clove garlic
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions 

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor except for olive oil.
  • Pulse until finely chopped.
  • Scrape down the sides and turn on food processor.
  • While food processor is running, slowly pour in olive oil.
  • Process until creamy and smooth.
  • Transfer to a bowl and mix in parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 457kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 21gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 689mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 15gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2059IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 316mgIron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauces, Dressings & Spreads
Cuisine: American
TRIED THIS RECIPE?COMMENT + RATE BELOW!

 
Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




22 Comments

  1. This looks so good, can’t wait to try it!!! And it’s just too early for that kind of weather :(

  2. I think NY Has the best of both worlds. As hot and humid as Florida in the summer,
    frosty white in the winter, beautiful fall foliage, fresh and green as Ireland in the spring. Just wish winter was shorter and the other seasons longer. The past 2 years winter here has been long and severe. Must be that global warming!! ;)