Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for peazotto with pickled peas...

The freshness of pureed peas and mint and the tartness of lemony pickled peas combine to give pasta ‘rice’ a perky, vibrant lift. Today’s recipe is inspired by an Italian method of preserving, sott’olio, which translates to “under oil”. The most delicate of vegetables, such as peas, are picked at peak ripeness, plunged briefly in vinegar, then stored in oil to preserve them until desired. I’ll admit that my recipe wantonly uses frozen petit pois, which are then in part pickled and in part whizzed up to make a stock in which to cook the orzo; nevertheless, eating it brings its own warm and welcome Italian sunshine to my English kitchen in cold, dark February.

This dish uses a decent amount of extra-virgin olive oil to add richness and flavour to the orzo (as well as to preserve the peas), but it is expensive, so you could use less, if you wish. You’ll need a blender to make the pea stock. Prep 15 min. Cook 45 min.

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Serves 4. 380g frozen petit pois. 10 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve. 8 tbsp lemon juice. Fine sea salt and coarse ground black pepper. 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced. 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or minced. 2 tsp dried mint. 400g orzo.

20g nutritional yeast. Put 300g of the peas in a heatproof bowl and the other 80g in a second bowl, then pour boiling water over both, leave for three minutes, and drain separately. Pour six tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil over the 80g bowl of blanched peas, add six tablespoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt, stir to combine and put to one side. Tip the larger bowl of blanched peas into a blender or food processor, add 100ml water and blitz smooth.

Heat all the remaining oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid, add the onion and a teaspoon and a half of salt, and cook, stirring, on a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browning, soft and sweet. Stir in the garlic, cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the dried mint and the pasta. Add 700ml cold water, cover the pan and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, and cook, still covered and stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes, until the orzo is tender.

Stir in the pea puree, nutritional yeast, the remaining two tablespoons of lemon juice and a half-teaspoon of ground black pepper; if the mix seems quite stiff, stir in warm or hand-hot water to loosen (I added 150ml). Cook, stirring, for two minutes more, then take off the heat.