Pan Roasted Pork Chops With Pea Shoot Pesto

5.0(215)

A pesto built on pea shoots, pine nuts and cilantro brightens this pork chop recipe. The chops are seared, then roasted in an oven for 15 minutes, putting dinner on the table in less than an hour. To serve, pair it with a light salad coated with lemon and olive oil, salt and pepper. Try it tonight.

by Melissa Clark

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Servings

4 servings

Total time

Calories / serving

987 kcal

Ingredients (20)

serves

3/4 cup pine nutspine-nut
3 cups pea shootspea-shoots
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leavescilantro
1/4 cup grated Parmesanparmesan
2 cloves garlic, choppedgarlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher saltsalt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil
4 1 1/4-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 pound each)
1 clove garlic, halvedgarlic
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher saltsalt
Freshly ground black pepperpepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil
2 cups pea shootspea-shoots
1 small bunch arugula, cleanedarugula
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leavescilantro
1 small shallot, thinly slicedshallot
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzlingextra-virgin-olive-oil
Lemon juice, for drizzlinglemon-juice
Coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel, to taste
Freshly ground black pepperpepper

Instructions (6 steps)

01In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes.
02To prepare pesto, in a food processor or blender combine pea shoots, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, cilantro, Parmesan, garlic and salt. Pulse until roughly chopped. With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil; blend until well combined. Scrape pesto into a bowl.
03Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each pork chop horizontally in half to bone, making a pocket for stuffing. Rub pork chops all over with cut side of garlic clove, grinding garlic juices into bone and meat. Season chops all over with salt and pepper, and fill each pocket with 1 tablespoon pesto.
04In a very large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear pork chops until well browned, about 3 minutes a side. Transfer skillet to oven. Cook pork chops until they register 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes (or cook pork to taste). Let stand in skillet for 5 minutes.
05Meanwhile, prepare salad: In a large bowl, toss together pea shoots, arugula, remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts, cilantro and shallot. Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat greens; drizzle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
06Divide salad among 4 serving plates. Place a pork chop on each bed of greens. Top chops with additional pesto. Spoon pan juices over each plate.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.