The pea flan is a very simple and tasty appetizer, perfect to serve as a starter for the Easter lunch. They are nothing more than single-serving flans, tasty and elegant, perfect for special occasions or as a main course for a dinner with vegetarian guests.
The recipe is very simple and involves cooking the peas in a pan with oil and garlic powder. Once cooked, they are blended with eggs, fresh liquid cream, and grated cheese until a smooth and bright green mixture is obtained. This mixture is then transferred into aluminum molds or ceramic cocottes and baked in the oven for 40 minutes.
The result will be delicious, colorful, and irresistible flans, to be served with a gorgonzola fondue. Of course, you can replace this cheese with taleggio cheese, or abundant grated pecorino, or a tomato sauce quickly cooked in a pan with oil, garlic, salt, and oregano.
Alternatively to the fondue, you can simply serve the pea flans with homemade béchamel enriched with diced cooked ham and fontina. For this recipe, I used frozen peas, but you can use fresh ones. Curious to find out how to prepare them? Then read the recipe, because the pea flans with fondue will be ready in a click!
If you are interested in more Easter appetizer recipes, also read:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, Easter
- Energy 172.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.72 (g) of which sugars 2.34 (g)
- Proteins 6.85 (g)
- Fat 13.35 (g) of which saturated 3.15 (g)of which unsaturated 1.82 (g)
- Fibers 1.92 (g)
- Sodium 483.54 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 72 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz frozen peas
- 2 g garlic powder
- 1.76 oz extra virgin olive oil
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 5.3 fl oz fresh liquid cream
- 2 eggs
- 2.1 oz grated parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil (to grease the molds)
- 1.76 fl oz fresh liquid cream
- 3.5 oz gorgonzola
Tools
- Pan
- Blender
- Molds aluminum
- Baking Tray
- Small Pot
Steps
First, cook the peas. Put the oil in a non-stick pan and add the garlic. Add the peas, season with salt and pepper, and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once the peas are cooked, let them cool. Then transfer them to a blender and add the cream, eggs, and grated cheese. Blend until a smooth mixture is obtained. Grease the molds with a little oil and pour a couple of tablespoons of mixture, leaving 0.4 inches from the edge.
Place the molds on a baking tray and pour some fresh water until it’s a couple of inches high. Bake the individual flans in a preheated oven at 356°F with static function for 40 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the fondue. Put the gorgonzola with the cream in a pan or small pot. Season with pepper and nutmeg and melt over low heat, stirring with a spoon.
As soon as the pea flans are cooked, take them out of the oven. Run a knife along the edge to detach them from the mold and flip them onto a plate. Serve by distributing a few tablespoons of fondue on top.
Storage and Tips for Pea Flans
The pea flan without sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days in a container with a lid.
FAQ Questions and Answers for Pea Flans
What can I substitute for gorgonzola?
As an alternative to gorgonzola, you can use taleggio, brie, fontina, or simply abundant grated pecorino.
How can I substitute the cheese sauce accompaniment?
You can prepare tomato sauce by cooking passata in a pan with garlic and oil and flavor it with oregano or fresh basil.
