Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas
These 5-ingredient Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas are a quick 15-minute side dish perfect for weeknight dinners or holiday meals like Easter. They’re bursting with fresh spring flavor and can easily be customized with different seasonings.Makes about 3½ cups.
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 53kcal
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) sugar snap peas*
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic 1 small clove
- ⅓ cup sliced scallions about 3 small scallions, plus more for garnish
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Wash and trim the peas, trimming tough stem ends away and pulling out the tough center string if there is one.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add the peas and salt and toss to coat in the butter. Cover skillet and cook until peas are bright green and just crisp tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and scallions and saute for another minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with more scallions if desired and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Leftover peas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and gently reheated to serve.
Notes
TIPS:
How to remove the string: Trim the tip of the pea near the stem and then pull downward to remove the string from the straight side.
Make them pretty: For nice presentation, open a few of the peas to expose the insides before cooking. Use the open peas as garnish for the dish like I did.
Don't overcook: To keep the sugar snap peas a bright green color, it's important not to overcook them. They're usually just barely soft after 2 to 3 minutes. Remove them from the heat and transfer them to a serving dish immediately to stop the cooking process.
Add aromatics last: For the best flavor, add the garlic and scallions during the last minute of cooking so their flavor just bursts rather than cooks away. Alternately you can add the garlic and scallions with the melted butter at the beginning of the cooking process.
Flavor variations:
- Lemon: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and a squeeze of juice if desired.
- Asian-inspired: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil while cooking. Top with toasted sesame seeds.
- Parmesan and bacon bits: Garnish peas with a sprinkling of finely grated Parmesan and crispy bacon bits.
- Fresh herbs: Chop parsley, basil, mint, chervil, tarragon, or cilantro and add as a generous garnish instead of scallions at the end of cooking.
- Spicy: Add a drizzle of chili crisp or a dash of cayenne in place of the red pepper flakes for even more spice!
Nutrition
Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.1mg
