If you’ve ever looked at a bag of frozen peas and felt uninspired, Samuel Goldsmith is here to help. The UK-based food writer and cookbook author’s latest cookbook is all about putting the humble frozen pea to good use. It’s fittingly named The Frozen Peas Cookbook and features 100 recipes where frozen peas are the star or the wingman.
Frozen peas are used in mac’n’cheese to “break through the beige”. They bulk out salmon fishcakes and they take on a lead role in a pea pesto. And in this recipe, they add a complementary element to the flavour of tarragon, as well as a bit of texture in a melange of gnocchi and bacon.
“Tarragon and peas is a great combination,” writes Goldsmith. “A quick and easy way to add a hit of flavour, tarragon is a herb that can overpower dishes and so I’ve not used too much of it here. I suggest adding just a single tablespoon first, especially if you’re relatively new to it, and then you can always stir through a little more.”
This dish is also easily made vegetarian by leaving out the bacon – though you may want to get back some of that saltiness by grating some hard Italian cheese over the top before serving.
Samuel Goldsmith’s pan-fried gnocchi with peas in a creamy tarragon sauce
Serves 2–4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
½ tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
200g unsmoked or smoked bacon lardons
500g ready-made gnocchi
150ml vegetable or chicken stock
150ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
200g frozen peas
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the bacon and fry for 5–6 minutes or until golden and crisp, and the fat has been released. Tip the gnocchi into the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes or until starting to brown a little, stirring them carefully to ensure they don’t break up. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to a plate and set aside.
Combine the stock and cream in a jug and pour the mixture into the pan. Season well with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tarragon and frozen peas, then cook for a further 2 minutes or until the peas are warmed through and tender.
Return the gnocchi to the pan, gently stir into the sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes or until the gnocchi are warmed through. Serve immediately.
This is a lightly edited extract from The Frozen Peas Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, released on March 18, 2025 by Murdoch Books. RRP$39.99.
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