Description
Creamy Pea Risotto from Italy brings spring’s sweetest flavors right to your dinner table, blending tender Arborio rice with garden-fresh peas for a simple yet luxurious meal that feels like a warm hug from Tuscany.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) arborio rice
- 2 cups (473 ml) fresh peas
- 4 cups (946 ml) vegetable broth
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup (50 g) parmesan cheese
Finishing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 12-inch skillet, heating at medium (350°F). Sauté 1 diced medium onion until transparent and soft.
- Mince 2 garlic cloves and add them with 1½ cups Arborio rice. Toast ingredients gently for precisely 90 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Warm 4 cups vegetable broth separately. Add ½ cup broth to rice, stirring until liquid absorbs completely. Continue adding broth ½ cup at a time.
- Maintain steady stirring during liquid additions. Each broth portion should take 3-4 minutes to absorb fully. Total cooking time for rice will be 18-20 minutes.
- Blanch 1 cup fresh peas in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to preserve bright color.
- When rice reaches creamy al dente consistency, fold in blanched peas and ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Incorporate 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir until butter melts completely.
- Remove from heat. Let risotto rest 2 minutes before serving to allow final texture development.
Notes
- Toast the rice carefully to develop a nutty flavor without burning, which gives the risotto deeper complexity.
- Use warm broth when adding to the rice, as cold liquid can shock the grains and interrupt smooth cooking.
- Fresh peas make a huge difference – frozen work in a pinch, but garden-fresh peas bring bright, sweet flavor to the dish.
- For a dairy-free version, swap Parmesan for nutritional yeast and use olive oil instead of butter to maintain creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 4-7 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-22 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg