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    Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Barley Pea Pesto Salad with Grana Padano and Prosciutto

    Published: Jan 22, 2020 · Modified: Dec 1, 2021 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe

    This Barley Pea Pesto Salad with Grana Padano and Prosciutto is always a crowd-pleaser – It's ready in a blink and makes such an impressive dish to share!


    Packed with tons of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, I love using pearl barley in my cooking, it's such a fabulous grain.

    It's super cheap, easy to find, and keeps you full for longer. All the good reasons to give this salad a try!

    This Barley Pea Pesto Salad comes together in less than 30 minutes and only requires a bunch of ingredients:

    • cooked pearl barley
    • homemade pea pesto
    • rocket leaves
    • Grana Padano cheese
    • Prosciutto di San Daniele

    **This post is sponsored by Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele. All opinions are my own**

    Delicious Pea Pestocollage of two images: first image shows peas, garlic, basil leaves, lemon zest and pine nuts in the jug of a food processor, second image showing prepared pea pesto

    I'm completely obsessed with pea pesto lately, it's just so tasty and easy to make.

    All you need is very simple ingredients to make it: garlic, peas, lemon zest, pine nuts and good extra-virgin olive oil.

    It's refreshing, with a sweet & tangy aroma, and it really takes only 5 minutes to put together.

    Basically, you trow everything in a food processor and mix until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and you're done.

    The pea pesto ingredients are enough to make a big pot of pea pesto.

    You can add as much as you like to the salad and store the remaining pesto in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Pea pesto is a fantastic addition to this salad, but it also works amazingly well with pasta, and you can also serve it a side with grilled fish or meat.

    I make it every week, and I love it so much I even included it my latest cookbook! Give it a try, I'm sure you'll absolutely love it. 

    Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele

    Being the proud Italian that I am, even though I go local as much as possible, there are few Italian ingredients I could never live without.

    Grana Padano cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele are definitely two of them.

    prosciutto san daniele slices and grana padano cheese piece, and cheese knife on a wood board

    One of the key ingredients in Italian cuisine, Grana Padano has a bold but not overpowering taste, it's umami-rich and complements any kind of savoury meal.

    My favourite way to eat it is definitely shaved in refreshing salads such as this Barley with Pea Pesto Salad.

    Prosciutto di San Daniele is also a lovely addition to this vibrant barley salad.

    If you have tried it before, you know that it's not like any other dry-cured ham.

    It has a distinctive salty, gamey taste and a uniquely sweet after-taste.

     Barley Pea Pesto Salad in a large blue salad bowl with salad spoons. Next to a wood board with prosciutto slices and grana padano cheese piece, and cheese knife. Small bowl of fresh arugula on top, light blue napkin with a halved lemon on the right down side.Both Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele carry the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin ), which is a guarantee of origin, authenticity and quality of the best products in the European Union.

    To learn more about these two amazing products, visit the Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano sites.

    Build the salad

    Back to this awesome Barley with Pea Pesto Salad, did I say it's super easy to make?

    All you have to do is mixing the barley with the pea pesto, add in some rocket leaves, Grana Padano shavings and few slices of Prosciutto di San Daniele, and you're good to go.

    For even more flavour, you can also add in some roasted nuts, such as hazelnuts and almonds.

    You can also add some extra toppings if you like. I LOVE adding a couple of soft-boiled eggs to make this salad even more special.

     Barley Pea Pesto Salad in a large blue salad bowl with salad spoons. Light blue napkin and halved lemon on the left side, and bowl with arugula on the top left side.Perfect for a light protein-packed lunch, picnic or easy fuss-free dinner, once you try this refreshing Italian salad you'll want to make it over and over again!

    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

    Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!

    Print SaveSaved!
    5 from 1 vote

    Barley Pea Pesto Salad with Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    This Barley Pea Pesto Salad with Grana Padano and Prosciutto is always a crowd-pleaser – It's ready in a blink and makes such an impressive dish to share!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Italian
    Serving: 4
    Author: Andrea Soranidis

    Ingredients

    • 250 g pearl barley, rinsed
    • 80 g Grana Padano cheese, shaved
    • 5-6 slices of Prosciutto di San Daniele
    • 100 g rocket leaves

    For the Pea Pesto:

    • 400 g boiled peas
    • zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 70 g pine nuts
    • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

    Instructions

    • Boil the barley for about 15-20 mins in a pot of lightly salted water until tender, but still al dente.
    • Transfer into a colander and cool under fresh running water, then drain well.
    • In the meantime, prepare the pea pesto. In a food processor add cooked peas, lemon zest, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth for about 1 minute, scraping down the edges with a spatula half-way through.
    • In a large salad bowl mix together cooked pearl barley with ⅔ of the pesto (store the remaining pesto for another day).
    • Add in rocket leaves and Grana Padano shavings and give it a nice mix.
    • With the help of your hands roll each slice of Prosciutto di San Daniele into the shape of a rose, and place on top of the salad.
    • Add some optional freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately.

    Video

    Notes

    The pea pesto ingredients are enough to make a big pot of pea pesto.
    You can add as much as you like to the salad and store the remaining pesto in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    For a more lemony note, you can swap lemon zest with the juice of half lemon.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    This post was originally posted in August 2017 and updated with more info.

    More Italian Recipes

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    • Neapolitan Pizza Sauce
    • Duck Ragu' - Ragu' d'Anatra
    • Steak Pizzaiola - Carne alla Pizzaiola
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Megan @ MegUnprocessed says

      August 30, 2017 at 6:06 am

      Love all these flavors!

      Reply
    2. Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

      August 29, 2017 at 7:39 pm

      This looks fantastic!!

      Reply
    3. Emma says

      August 12, 2017 at 8:13 pm

      Such a pretty salad, that pea pesto sounds amazing!

      Reply
    4. Carol Cassara says

      August 03, 2017 at 4:40 pm

      I'm always game for recipes like this especially during the summer! It's packed with so many good ingredients and I can't wait to make it for the husband! I'm sure he'll love it!

      Reply
    5. Roxy says

      August 02, 2017 at 9:44 pm

      Those little prosciutto flowers are so cute! I've always wanted to make my own pesto but the pine nuts are so expensive, I end up buying pre-made pesto at Whole Foods!

      Reply
    6. Just Julie says

      August 02, 2017 at 9:20 pm

      This looks good! I am going to try this sometime.

      Reply
    7. fashionphases says

      August 02, 2017 at 6:07 pm

      I really need to try this Barley with Pea Pesto Salad recipe. Your pictures and the way you decorated the salad is perfect.

      Reply
    8. Dee Samaan says

      August 02, 2017 at 5:55 pm

      This salad look beautiful. I love the rosette garnishes on it!! So pretty!!!!

      Reply
    9. Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says

      August 02, 2017 at 10:43 am

      Pea pesto is something I've not had before. Love the sound of the ham, cheese and pea combo!

      Reply
    10. Adriana Martin says

      August 02, 2017 at 4:04 am

      That prosciutto I bet melts in your mouth perfect salad. Your pics are mouthwatering too. Now craving a good salada!

      Reply
    11. loveyoumoretoo says

      August 02, 2017 at 1:30 am

      This is so beautiful!I love the video. This would be a great dish for a party.

      Reply
    12. Chef Dennis says

      August 01, 2017 at 11:59 pm

      What a delicious pesto! And that salad looks ah-mazingly delicious!

      Reply
    13. [email protected] says

      August 01, 2017 at 11:50 pm

      I've truly never thought of using barley in a salad before! I love the nutritional benefits that barley offers but I mainly use it in soups. I have to say this salad looks fantastic and I'd love to give it a try.

      Reply
    14. Olivia Stacey says

      August 01, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      This sounds absolutely divine! I LOVE Grana Padano and prosciutto. Can't wait to try this recipe soon : ) I'll make sure to to tag you on Instagram. Thanks for sharing Andrea!
      xoxo,
      Liv

      Reply
    15. Lucy says

      August 01, 2017 at 12:10 pm

      I've never had pea pesto but I am sure I will love it! Going to give this a try over the summer as I love Grana Padano and prosciutto.

      Reply
    16. Hannah Hossack-Lodge says

      August 01, 2017 at 11:58 am

      That sounds delicious! I've made rice pesto salad but haven't tried with barley before, I do have a packet in the cupboard that needs using up however so I will have to give it a try!

      Reply

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    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


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