Spaghetti with Pea Pesto, Roast Garlic, and Fresh Marjoram
So now that spring has officially begun, the leaves on the tree in front of my living room window should start sprouting in fresh crisp greens, the birds should sing all day, and the rosé wine should fill the glasses to welcome the new season. But - apart from the pink wine - there isn't the slightest sign of bright sunshine and rising temperatures in the city. It makes no sense to despair, so I use the kitchen to create the atmosphere I'm after instead. The wine is chilled, the spaghetti's cooked, and a bright green pesto of sweet peas (frozen, I must admit), and fresh marjoram puts me in the right mood. I also roast whole cloves of garlic in their skins in the oven to turn them into a sweet paste. The golden cloves are mashed with a fork and mixed into the pasta - this dish looks like spring, tastes like spring, and makes me forget about grey skies, leafless trees, and my constant lack of sunshine.
This is the last of three recipes I created for Westelm. You can find all three recipes including my Mozzarella, Tapenade, and Preserved Lemon Sandwich and Pumpkin Quiche with Taleggio and Sage on their blog. This post was sponsored by Westelm to make my kitchen a little prettier!
Spaghetti with Pea Pesto, Roast Garlic, and Fresh Marjoram
Serves 2
For the pesto
peas (fresh or frozen) 200g / 7 ounces
fresh marjoram leaves 2 teaspoons, plus 2 tablespoons marjoram leaves for the topping
water used to cook the peas 3 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons
olive oil 3 tablespoons
fine sea saltg
round pepper
large garlic cloves, unpeeled, 12-16
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F.
For the pea pesto, in a small saucepan, bring salted water to the boil and blanch the peas for 1 minute, reserve about 6 tablespoons of the water. Drain and quickly rinse the peas with cold water. Purée the peas, marjoram, 3 tablespoons of the water used to cook the peas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the pesto is too dry, add more of the pea-water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Spread the garlic cloves in a baking dish and roast, turning the garlic occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the garlic is soft enough to mash with a fork - mind that it doesn't burn. Take the garlic out of the oven, let it cool for a minute, then peel the garlic cloves out of their skins and mash with a fork.
In a large pot, bring plenty of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente, drain, and stir in a splash of olive oil.
Divide the spaghetti between plates, sprinkle generously with the pea pesto, crushed pepper, and fresh marjoram leaves. Lay the mashed garlic on top and serve immediately.
Pea Pesto and Caramelized Honey Bacon Sandwich with fresh Marjoram
My first green pesto in 2015! It's made with peas from my freezer as nature isn't exactly ready for my summery cravings yet, I'll have to wait a couple more months. This is the only frozen vegetable you'll find in my kitchen, throughout the whole year. I like to add them to easy pasta dishes, especially with asparagus, mustard and leak, and salads (like my potato salad with rucola pesto and peas). The legume's vitamins - and its taste - are well preserved in these little green balls of summery freshness when they are frozen and they often taste much better than the fresh ones from the greenhouse.
Frozen peas have another lazy advantage, they save me from peeling them which I can enjoy at times but today I wasn't too unhappy about this circumstance. It made the preparation for this sandwich very simple. I blanched the tiny legumes for just a minute to keep them crisp and then mixed them in the blender with fresh marjoram, a little garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. I ended up with the prettiest bright green pesto; the colour was mesmerizing, thick and lush, fresh flavours merged with the marjoram's flowery aroma. I paired it with crunchy bacon, caramelized with a spoonful of honey. Its savoury saltiness was a perfect addition to the sweet and smooth pesto.
When a sandwich is made with such tasty ingredients it can easily deal with strong, dark bread. I went for a nutty whole wheat bun, topped with linseeds, sunflower and sesame seeds. The whole composition was hearty yet fresh and light at the same time.
So, I’m ready, may spring come soon to pursue all my culinary cravings that have been waiting for months!
Here's the recipe for another one of my legume pestos: Fava Bean Pesto with Mint!
Pea Pesto and Caramelized Honey Bacon Sandwich with fresh Marjoram
For 3 sandwiches you need
fresh whole wheat buns, cut in half, 3
breakfast bacon 6 slices
honey 1/2 teaspoon
olive oil
For the pesto
peas (fresh or frozen) 200g / 7 ounces
garlic, quartered, 1 clove
fresh, young marjoram leaves, chopped, 3/4-1 teaspoon, to taste (mind that it's very aromatic), plus a few leaves for the topping
water used to cook the peas 1-3 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon
olive oil 2 tablespoons
salt and pepper
Blanch the peas and the garlic in boiling salted water for 1 minute, reserve 3 tablespoons of the water, drain and quickly rinse them with cold water. Purée the peas, garlic, chopped marjoram, water used to cook the peas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until smooth, season to taste.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy pan and fry the bacon on medium-high for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. Add the honey and caramelize for 1 minute.
Spread the pea pesto on the bottom side of the buns, lay the bacon on top and sprinkle with a few marjoram leaves. Enjoy!
