Roasted Garlic-Sweet Pea Spread

Ingredients

• 1 garlic bulb
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups blanched fresh sweet peas
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Assorted crackers

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Cut off pointed end of garlic bulb; place garlic bulb on a piece of aluminum foil, and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Fold foil to seal. Bake 30 minutes; let cool 10 minutes. Process blanched peas in a food processor until smooth. Squeeze pulp from roasted garlic bulb into food processor bowl with peas; add ricotta cheese, basil, and lemon juice. Process until smooth. With processor running, pour 1/4 cup olive oil through food chute in a slow, steady stream, processing until smooth. Stir in kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with crackers.
2. How to Blanch Peas: Cook desired amount of fresh sweet peas, snow peas, or sugar snap peas in boiling salted water to cover 1 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process; drain.