PEAS AND CARROTS light side dish
If you are looking for a simple and light yet tasty side dish, carrots and peas in a pan are ideal to accompany any dish, whether meat or fish, but also fried eggs or cheese, both for lunch and dinner.
Preparing Peas and Carrots is very easy, and you’ll need just a few simple ingredients: peas and carrots, naturally, along with onion, a little oil, salt, and pepper if you like.
You will bring to the table a side dish with a delicate, naturally and pleasantly sweet flavor that will convince even the little ones, who are usually not fond of vegetables.
In this recipe, I used frozen peas (canned ones are fine too), but during the spring season, I recommend buying fresh peas in pods to shell, as they will be even tastier and more tender.
To prepare PEAS AND CARROTS, you will only need to slice the carrots, place them in a pan with a light sauté of oil and onion, add the frozen peas, and 1/2 cup of water, and let them cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
Then you can decide whether to add a pinch of ground pepper to perfume the dish, or if you want a more nutritious and complete result, add a diced potato during cooking, or even some diced cooked ham or bacon. Serve this side dish hot or at room temperature, perhaps accompanied by some fragrant slices of toasted bread.
And now let’s prepare together this delicious Pan Peas and Carrots side dish. For more vegetable side dish recipes, also see:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 81.30 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 9.55 (g) of which sugars 3.32 (g)
- Proteins 2.83 (g)
- Fat 3.93 (g) of which saturated 0.57 (g)of which unsaturated 0.11 (g)
- Fibers 2.93 (g)
- Sodium 253.62 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 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
- 1 lb 1.5 oz frozen peas (or canned)
- 3 carrots
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (optional)
- water (or vegetable broth about 2/3 cup)
Tools
- Frying pan
Steps
Clean the onion then finely chop it, wash the carrots, trim them, peel them, and cut them into slices. Put 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped onion in a pan, and let it brown over medium heat. Pour the peas into the pan with the onion sauté, then add the carrots. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 1/2 cup of hot water, lower the heat, cover with a lid, and let it stew for about 20 minutes. If you see the cooking base drying too much, add another splash of water. After this time, remove the lid, adjust the salt and pepper (if you decided to use it), stir, and continue for another minute to allow the vegetables to absorb the flavors. Remove from the heat, plate and serve either hot or at room temperature.
NOTES AND TIPS
LIQUIDS Instead of water, if you want a Peas and Carrots side dish with even more flavor, you can replace it with hot vegetable broth.
ONION: As an alternative to white onion, use shallots, leeks, spring onions, or Tropea red onion.
HERBS: For a more aromatic taste, you can use chopped parsley, fresh mint, or basil leaves in addition.
VARIATIONS AND USE: This Peas and Carrots recipe can also be used as a condiment to flavor a pasta or rice dish or as a base for a vegetarian burger.
STORAGE
Peas and carrots can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Then you can decide whether to heat them in a pan or microwave and enjoy them hot or cold at room temperature.
HOW TO COOK FROZEN PEAS
Frozen peas need to be boiled before being flavored in a pan. If possible, I recommend steaming instead of the classic boiling in water to keep the nutrients intact. If you don’t have a steamer, just put about 2 inches of water in a deep pot, as soon as it starts to boil, place a steaming basket or a large colander above the water level. Pour the frozen peas inside, cover with a lid, and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook them in the microwave. To cook frozen peas in the microwave, just put them still frozen in a microwave-safe container, add a little water, cover with a microwave lid or a plate, and cook for about 4 minutes at maximum power. Then you can flavor them in a pan with oil and herbs.
HOW TO COOK CANNED PEAS
The advantage of canned peas is that they are already cooked and ready to be used, a perfect solution for those with little time. I recommend choosing high-quality peas, for example, I like the Valfrutta brand, a great product at a fair price. To cook canned peas, once removed from the can, drain them with a colander and rinse them under running water, then drain them and put them in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, then add 1/2 ladle of water and a pinch of salt, and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. To cook canned peas, usually, 7 to 8 minutes of total cooking time is sufficient.
HOW TO COOK FRESH PEAS
As I mentioned earlier during the spring season, if possible, I recommend buying fresh peas, recognizable because they are sold in their bright green pod. They are certainly sweeter and tastier than frozen or canned ones. Before cooking fresh peas, they need to be shelled: to do this, simply open the top of the pod with your fingers and gently detach the peas by running your thumb along. Fresh peas require delicate cooking: put a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a whole clove of garlic in a large pot. When the oil is hot, add the peas and stir with a spoon. Gradually add vegetable broth or water (both very hot) and continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the peas are tender. Adjust the salt and serve. Cooking times for fresh peas depend on their size: taste the largest pea, and if it’s tender, the others will be too.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many calories do peas and carrots have?
100 g of Carrot and Pea side dish has about 64 Kcal.
What vegetables go well with peas?
Peas go well with both carrots and potatoes. If you have no diet restrictions, choose potatoes as they add flavor and texture, while for a controlled calorie intake, it’s better to opt for carrots.
What can you match with carrots?
The sweet and delicate flavor of carrots makes them easy to pair with any other food, and they go well with the taste of pumpkin, peas, zucchini, and potatoes.
