How to Make Pea Risotto

1. Heat the stock over low heat.
2. Blanch the peas in a large pot of boiling stock or water for about 2-3 minutes. Transfer a bowl with ice water for 5 minutes. Keep 1/2 cup of the peas for later. To the remaining peas add 1/2 cup of stock and puree the peas in a food processor or with a hand blender. Set the pea paste aside.
3. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the shallots and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
4. Add the rice and cook, over low heat, until the rice is hot and coated with oil, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until the liquid has absorbed and the alcohol has evaporated.
6. Add 1/2 cup stock to the rice, and stir until the stock is absorbed. Continue adding hot stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.
7. When rice is almost fully cooked, about 15-20 minutes, add pea puree and cook, adding stock as needed until the rice is al dente. Turn the heat off, add parmesan cheese, butter, reserved peas and stir until the cheese is melted. If needed add more stock.
8. Serve immediately

What to serve with pea risotto?

Pea risotto can be served either as a starter or as a main dish. If you serve it as a starter, then you need to serve it as a small portion, and serve it with a main protein, such as: salmon with lemon butter sauce, roasted chicken, baked cabbage meatballs or other dinner recipe of your choice.

If you serve risotto as main dish, then you can serve it with a fresh salad of your choice.

Can we use fresh peas?

Yes, you can use fresh peas. Follow the same process. You may need to blanch them for longer, simmer them until they are soft and proceed with the same process.

What type of rice is the best for risotto?

There are 3 main rice types for risotto:

1. Arborio rice – an Italian short-grain rice. It is named after the town of Arborio, in the Po Valley, which is situated in the main region of Piedmont in Italy. Arborio is also grown in Arkansas, California, and Missouri in the United States. When cooked, the rounded grains are firm, and creamy and chewy compared to other varieties of rice, due to their higher amylopectin starch content.
2. Carnaroli rice – Carnaroli is an Italian medium-grained rice grown in the Pavia, Novara and Vercelli provinces of northern Italy. Differing from the more common arborio rice due to its higher starch content and firmer texture, as well as having a longer grain. Carnaroli rice keeps its shape better than other forms of rice during the slow cooking required for making risotto due to its higher amylose content. It is the most widely used rice in Italian cuisine, and is highly prized.
3. Vialone nano rice - an Italian semifino (medium-grain) rice variety. It is typical of the flat, rice-growing areas of the southern Provincia di Verona. Similar to the Carnaroli, Vialone Nano is an appreciated risotto rice. While rich in starch (therefore making for creamy risottos), its high amylose content allows it to maintain its shape and absorb much liquid during cooking.

*Source: Wikipedia 

Can we skip wine to make risotto?

Traditionally, in most Italian recipe you will find a use of wine. The wine gives a nice flavour to the risotto, if you worried about alcohol flavour in your food, you should know that the alcohol is evaporating while cooking so you will not feel any alcohol flavour. If you prefer not to use wine for other reasons, you can skip this step and just use stock.

Other Risotto Recipes:

• Mushroom Risotto