Easy Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
by Katie Webster
March 22, 2024 Jump To Recipe
Eating fresh sugar snap peas straight off the vine while standing in my garden tops my list of favorite ways to enjoy snap peas. But this roasted snap pea recipe comes in a close second! It is simple to prepare and roasting makes them so sweet and tender!
Every spring I await the snap pea vines to make their way up the trellis in my vegetable garden. Along with radishes and spinach, snap peas are some of the growing season’s first bounty and always bring a smile to my face.
In addition to eating them straight from the garden, I enjoy them raw added to salad, dunked into dip or quickly cooked. Roasted snap peas are the easiest of all cooked snap pea recipes.
Table of contents
More Roast Vegetable Recipes
One of our core missions at Healthy Seasonal Recipes is to help you find simple and delicious ways to prepare seasonal vegetables. Roasting is always one of the easiest ways to prepare fresh veggies. Here are a few more favorite roasted veggie recipes to try.
Ingredients
- Sugar Snap Peas: I developed this recipe using one pound of sugar snap peas so that you can use the bags of stringless sugar snap peas from the produce department, or you can weigh out a pound of fresh snap peas from the garden, farmers’ market or bought in bulk at the grocery store. If you have regular snap peas (not stringless) make sure that the stems and strings are removed. Once they are prepped you should have about 5 ½ c of snap peas.
- OIl: You can use any high-heat cooking oil. Here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes we recommend avocado oil or organic canola oil when a neutral cooking oil is required. They can reach high temps and do not add any strong flavors to recipes. Feel free to use extra-virgin olive oil here if that is your favorite. Refined peanut oil or grapeseed oil also work.
- Salt and Pepper: Season the snap peas with coarse kosher salt and pepper.
- Optional Seasonings: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, ½ teaspoon sesame seeds and 1 minced or sliced scallion or green onion.
Pro Tip: How To Remove Snap Pea Strings
To remove the strings from the snap peas:
- First cut through the stem end of the pod without cutting all the way through.
- Next pull back on the stem end and peel back the string that runs along the seam of the pea pod.
- Repeat on the opposite side, removing the pea pod tip and peeling back the string on the other seam.
How To Roast Snap Peas
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (photo 1). Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat it. This will help give the peas a nice sear so don’t skip this step!
- Meanwhile toss the snap peas with your cooking oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl (photo 2). Mix them until the peas are nicely coated with the oil and seasoning.
- Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and spread the seasoned snap peas in a single layer on the baking sheet (photo 3). Pop it back into the ovan and roast, stirring only once or twice until they are browned and blistered in spots and just tender, 17 to 22 minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and serve the roasted snap peas immediately. Alternatively, if desired, you can drizzle them with sesame oil, sesame seeds (photo 4) and scallion, and toss to coat before serving.
Pro Tip: The key to perfect texture is to not stir too much during the roasting process. Sugar snap peas need to be roasted hot and fast for the best caramelization and lightly crisp texture. So if you open the oven more than once or twice while they cook, you’ll let the hot air out of the oven. This can make them limp and mushy and slow the browning process.
Serving Suggestions and Menu Pairings
Snap peas are naturally sweet and have light fresh vegetal flavor similar to sweet peas. When roasted they pair nicely with chicken, pork and other lighter-tasting proteins like turkey and fish. Here are some healthy recipes and main courses to pair with these sugar snaps.
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with lemon herb marinade
- Juicy Grilled Lamb Burgers with Whipped Feta
- Broiled Thai Skirt Steak with Coconut Lime Marinade
- Tofu or chicken marinated in our Teriyaki marinade
- If chicken is a favorite in your family, try these with Honey Garlic Chicken
- Pair with spring Lamb Chops with herbs and butter sauce
- Maple Glazed Salmon with soy sauce and ginger
Seasoning For Snap Peas
Today we started with salt and black pepper and then we used a couple of deliciously simple and umami add ons to make the flavors pop: sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil and scallion greens. This gives the roast snap peas a slight Asian flare, so if that’s not what you have in mind, never fear! There are many ways to amp up the flavors in this roasted sugar snap peas recipe. Next time try:
- Ranch Style: Sprinkle with a little dried ranch dressing seasoning mix and then quickly drizzle with a little olive oil (or a pat or two of unsalted butter) and toss to coat! For a more natural version of this idea: go for King Arthur Flour’s Formaggio Italiano cheese and herb blend (which is a popcorn seasoning of sorts.) It is a great way to jazz up vegetable side dishes. I use it on frozen veggies too! A sodium free seasoning blend (like all purpose seasoning, lemon pepper or Mrs. Dash) is another easy option.
- Lemon or Balsamic: I sound like a broken record, I know! But there is no easier way to finish off a simple veggie side dish! Simply drizzle on a little good quality balsamic vinegar (look for an aged one) or balsamic reduction or glaze. Or alternatively toss with a little fresh lemon juice. Add on lemon zest for more lemony flavor! Zing!
- Fresh Herbs: Since sugar snaps are the peak of spring produce, add on fresh spring herbs like tarragon, mint, parsley and chives. They will give added freshness!
- Cheese: We love the flavor of goat cheese and snap peas. Once the peas come out of the oven, crumble on a little fresh chevre. Amp it up further with lemon zest, chives and mint! This is a delicious healthy side dish with Rack of Lamb!
- Italian Seasoning: With the salt and pepper, add in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon each dried oregano and Italian seasoning. Omit the sesame oil and seeds and instead finish the roasted peas with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Leftovers, Reheating and Make Ahead
Prep Ahead: Cut the stems off and remove the strings from your snap peas up to three days in advance. Keep in a Ziplock bag or resealable container in the refrigerator. Make sure the peas are good and dry before cooking them!
Leftovers: Keep leftover cooked snap peas in an airtight container in the fridge up to four days. Enjoy cold on a buddha bowl or tossed into a salad or reheat.
Reheating: Reheat the snap peas in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds per serving. Do so on high heat on a microwave-safe plate loosly covered with parchment or a paper towel. Alternatively, reheat in a small non-stick skillet with a little oil or broth. Heat through, stirring often until they are steaming hot (about 3 to 4 minutes on medium-high.)
FAQs
Yes you can, but they cook even faster! So check them after 12 minutes in the oven.
More Spring Vegetable Recipes
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Print
Roasted Sugar Snap Peas Recipe
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
Deliciously sweet and lightly caramelized roasted snap peas are the easiest and tastiest way to cook sugar snap peas! Simply toss them with a little oil, salt and pepper and roast them to crisp tender perfection.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sugar snap peas, stems and strings removed (5 1/2 c)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or organic canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1 scallion, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
- Meanwhile toss peas with oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until they are coated in the oil and seasoning.
- Spread snap peas out on the baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice until they are browned and blistered in spots and just tender, 17 to 22 minutes.
- Remove from the oven serve immediately. Or if desired drizzle with sesame oil, sesame seeds and scallion, and toss to coat before serving.
Notes
Prep Ahead: Cut the stems off and remove the strings from your snap peas up to three days in advance. Keep in a Ziplock bag or resealable container in the refrigerator. Make sure the peas are good and dry before cooking them!
Leftovers: Keep leftover cooked snap peas in an airtight container in the fridge up to four days. Enjoy cold on a buddha bowl or tossed into a salad or reheat.
Reheating: Reheat the snap peas in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds per serving. Do so on high heat on a microwave-safe plate loosly covered with parchment or a paper towel. Alternatively, reheat in a small non-stick skillet with a little oil or broth. Heat through, stirring often until they are steaming hot 9about 3 to 4 minutes on medium-high.)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 17 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 89
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
