Peas: why are they good for you? Find out!

A typical legume of the summer season? Peas!

Fresh, tender and sweet, they are ideal to harvest in summer, when the seeds are particularly tender, and bring them to the table as a side dish or as an ingredient in tasty cold pastas or why not?... even raw accompanying them in appetizing aperitifs.

Let's take a closer look at this amazing legume.

Curiosities about this legume

The plant known botanically by the name Pisum Sativum gives us small, green-colored fruits commonly called peas and which are part of the Family of Leguminosae.

These legumes are of very ancient origin, in fact it seems that they were cultivated since ancient times in Asia Minor and later became an integral part of the diet of the Greeks and Romans, spreading throughout the Mediterranean. To date, Italy is one of the main producers, and in our country they are among the most widely used and appreciated legumes, even by children.

Did you know that there aredifferent varieties of peas? Such as tacolle, of which the pod is also eaten: a typical legume in Lombard and Piedmontese cuisine.

Peasants: benefits and nutritional properties

Peas are a really tasty concentrate of benefits that come from the nutrients and active ingredients they contain:

• . They are rich in vitamin B, C and folic acid
.
• . They are highly digestible, compared to other legumes
• . They contain many soluble fibers, mineral salts and are rich in water
• . Last but not least, they are an interesting source of antioxidants
.

Peasants on the table: some light and naturally tasty recipes

Versatile and tasty, peas lend themselves to the creation of many dishes and can be served both cooked and raw (without exaggeration), making some really tasty recipes that embellish a balanced cuisine by giving each dish a unique flavor.

How to choose them? It is best to opt for pods that are not too large, because overripe peas are harder and need longer cooking and tend to become more floury.

You can opt to eat them with pasta or rice or they go very well with salads, but also as the perfect side dish for main courses.

Here are some ideas of light, but really tasty dishes to bring to the table.

White Corn Pasta with Peas and Ginger

Ingredients (for 3 people):
250 g of White Corn and Peas Fusilli
350 g of peas
1 onion
Fresh grated ginger to taste
½ glass of vegetable milk
Extra-virgin olive oil to taste

Salt to taste
Pepper q.b.

Procedure:

In a saucepan, heat some extra-virgin olive oil and then arrange half a sliced onion.When the onion is golden brown, add the peas, add a little water, cover with the lid and let it cook, then add salt and pepper.
In a skillet, sauté the remaining finely chopped onion with oil.
With an immersion blender, adding the vegetable milk a little at a time, puree the peas.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain slightly al dente and toss in the pan with the onion, pea puree and a sprinkling of ginger. Enjoy!"

Amaranth & Carrot Meatballs with a side of peas

A naturally good meal, but ready in a short time? We brought to the table the Amaranth & Carrot Meatballs accompanied by the classic side dish of peas lightly pan-fried with a drizzle of oil and salt or a velvety pea soup.

If you want to give it a more summery and refreshing touch, you can enrich the peas with a few fresh mint leaves ?