If there is one thing I always have in my freezer, it is a bag of frozen peas. I stock up when these go on sale and pack the freezer with them as a way to have healthy vegetables on the ready for whenever we need them. I love using frozen peas as opposed to canned peas because they are flash frozen and are just as good as the fresh variety and are so easy to prepare.
I’ve prepared them here the way they are traditionally prepared in the Puglia region of Italy – sauteed when frozen in some onions (or shallots in this case) and covered with just a bit of water and cooked until tender. You can use regular white onions instead, but I’ve grown to prefer the flavor of the sweeter shallot instead. This is a quick and easy side dish that is ready in 15 minutes.
Piselli alla Pugliese | Italian Style Peas
Ingredients
- 1 bag (12 ounces) frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Directions
- In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add the olive oil and add as many red pepper flakes as you desire and heat through, about a minute.
- Add your shallots and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas and salt, and toss to combine. Add the water and stir once more before covering the pot and allowing the peas to cook until tender, for 15-20 minutes.
- Taste add additional salt if necessary. Plate and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
