You are the peas to my carrots.
What could be more fulfilling than a beautifully colored plate? Personally, I really like green, so this dish touched my heart. I ate it with my mouth, but also with my eyes!
As usual, it's a healthy and tasty recipe, this time inspired by my favorite recipe creator and dietitian… Pick Up Limes . The recipe is a little different than the original, because I used what I had in the fridge, but I believe it turned out just as good.
It's the first time I've tried to make a green pea sauce… which, to be honest, is more of a cream (if you want to make it thinner, add more water) and it wraps the pasta in a nice green color. Now, let's see what green peas are good for…
Why are green peas so healthy?
In addition to being a healthy vegetable, pease are extremely nutritious for the body. Like any other legumes , it contains many fibers , which regulate our intestinal transit, and other valuable nutrients. Peas are largely made up of carbohydrates - they contain starch, as do potatoes, corn or pumpkin.
In terms of protein, pease are not at the forefront of legumes, with about 5.2 grams of protein per 100 grams of cooked peas. It is a qualitative protein, but incomplete, and combined with whole grains creates the complete protein. But don't worry… you won't starve to death by eating peas! Due to its high fiber content, peas are a food that makes you feel full quickly, so helps to losing weight and increasing muscle mass .
If it's not a leader at protein content, then it is among the firsts in the content of vitamin A - in fact carotenoids, precursors of vitamins A - and K , it is an excellent source of manganese, iron and phosphorus . It is recommended for diabetics because it has a low glycemic index , being a rich source of fiber and of some protein. However, these fibers also help to lower the "bad" LDL cholesterol , known to cause heart disease, and the antioxidants in peas can even fight cancer .
Like all legumes, peas also contain antinutrients - phytic acid and lectins, found especially in their skin, and which reduce the absorption of nutrients in the intestine. To reduce the volume of antinutrients, it is preferable to soak the peas in water, a few hours before cooking, or cook them well before eating .
Recipe
Creamy green pasta with peas and spinach sauce
Equipment
- vertical blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 300 g whole wheat pasta I used fusilli
- 1 head broccoli I had cauliflower
- 1 tbsp olive oil or water
- 2 medium red onions or 1 leek
- 2 stalks green onion optional
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 125 g frozen peas or fresh
- 100 g frozen spinach or fresh
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 200 g vegetable cream I used soy
- ½ lemon we need the juice
Instructions
- Put some water in a saucepan with a little salt. After starting boiling, add the pasta and cook them according to the instructions on the package. 3 minutes before it is ready, add the pieces of broccoli, cut in advance.
- Keep a cup of the water in which the pasta and broccoli cooked. Drain them and put them back in the saucepan.
- In a pan, with preheated olive oil or water, add the red onion, green onion, garlic - finely chopped, and salt. Let them cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, during which time you stir from time to time. If necessary, add a little more water to deglase the pan.
- Add the peas, spinach, basil and oregano over the above composition, mix well and cook over medium heat for 10-15 min.
- Add the vegetable cream, mix well and turn off the heat. To make the green sauce, blend the whole composition, or part of it, if you like to feel the consistency of the vegetables. If you want the sauce thinner, pour in some of the water kept from pasta and broccoli.
- Put the green sauce and lemon juice over the fusilli and broccoli, mix and serve. I decorated the plate with a slice of lemon and a little mustard powder, as I do with all dishes that contain crucifers.
Sources:
- Peas, green, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2526/2#
- Why Green Peas are Healthy and Nutritious: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-peas-are-healthy#section5
Lavinia Dinca
Nutritionist
English 
Română