{"id":4605,"date":"2018-04-11T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T15:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=4605"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:58:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:58:45","slug":"piselli-in-umido","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2018\/04\/11\/piselli-in-umido\/","title":{"rendered":"Piselli in Umido (Peas in Tomato Sauce)"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 11, 2018<\/span><\/p>\n

Italians have knack for combining a modest array of vegetables into an almost endless cannon of dishes, each of which is distinctive, even if the interrelationships of the various parts are obvious.<\/p>\n

This dish of peas cooked in tomato sauce is from my husband\u2019s paternal grandmother, Amerina Pieri.<\/p>\n

I learned to make this from my mother-in-law, Marisa, Amerina\u2019s daughter-in-law.<\/p>\n

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Everyone who makes it adds his or her own signature.\u00a0 Mine is not exactly like my mother-in-law\u2019s and I\u2019m sure hers is not just like Zia (Aunt) Ida\u2019s, Amerina\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, Nonni (as we all called her) used canned peas.\u00a0 In talking with my father-in-law (who grew up eating this) and my mother-in-law, they were pretty sure Nonni would not have used canned peas in Italy unless she possibly canned them herself.\u00a0 Somehow canned peas became the norm in America.<\/p>\n

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Amerina Pieri (aka Nonni or Nonni’merina) Christmas 2005<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And, while canned peas produce a pretty good dish, I prefer something a little fresher.\u00a0 Because really good fresh peas are available for only a few weeks a year at the Farmers Market in Santa Fe, I usually use frozen peas.<\/p>\n

If the frozen peas haven\u2019t been in your freezer so long that they start to dry out and freeze into a block they are superior to \u201cfresh\u201d peas except during the few weeks a year when they are really locally-grown and truly fresh.<\/p>\n

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My mother-in-law usually uses canned tomato sauce when making this, as did Nonni (at least when she made it on this side of the Atlantic Ocean!).<\/p>\n

I use tomato paste and water.\u00a0 If you read the ingredient lists on cans of tomato sauce that you can buy in the United States, you will find that most are made from tomato paste and water, so why not just do it yourself?\u00a0 Those few brands of tomato sauce that are not made from diluted tomato paste are a little too sour for my taste.\u00a0 I would opt for a good-quality tomato puree instead.<\/p>\n

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My favorite brand of domestically produced tomato paste<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tomato paste has a richer flavor than tomato sauce or tomato puree.\u00a0 I attribute this to the extra cooking that is needed to concentrate the tomatoes.\u00a0 Those little cans provide the foundation of a taste that could otherwise only be achieved with hours of simmering.<\/p>\n

Homemade tomato puree would be another good option if you want a fresher, more summery taste.\u00a0 Here’s where you can find my recipe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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If you have a favorite family recipe and a bit of a story to tell, please email me at santafecook@villasentieri.com<\/a> and we can discuss including it in the blog. I am expanding the scope of my blog to include traditional recipes from around the country and around the world. If you haven\u2019t seen Bertha\u2019s Flan<\/a> or Melinda\u2019s Drunken Prunes<\/a>, take a look.\u00a0 They will give you an idea of what I\u2019m looking for.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Piselli in Umido (Peas in Tomato Sauce)<\/h2>\n
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Fresh or canned peas can be used in place of frozen. Fresh peas will take longer to cook. The canned peas should be cooked briefly to avoid overcooking. I like to rinse off frozen vegetables to remove any ice crystals on the exterior. I find the ice crystals can carry a \u201cfreezer\u201d taste.<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>10 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hr<\/span> 15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hr<\/span> 25 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>6<\/span> people<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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