Lemony Pea Risotto
Creamy Arborio rice stirred with hot broth, sweet peas, lemon zest and Parmigiano, finished with fresh mint. A spring-feeling dinner made from the freezer and the pantry.
Chef's note Risotto waits for nobody, cara. Call everyone to the table when the peas go in.
Chef's note Risotto waits for nobody, cara. Call everyone to the table when the peas go in. And the stirring is not a chore: pour yourself a glass of that wine and keep it by the stove.
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot or a small onion, finely chopped
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups frozen peas thawed
- 1 lemon zested, then juiced
- ¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh mint or parsley chopped
Steps
Warm 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth in a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer on a back burner. Cold broth stops the rice cooking every time you add it.
In a wide, heavy pan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook 1 large shallot until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add 1½ cups Arborio rice and stir 2 minutes, until the edges of the grains look glassy. Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and stir until it's absorbed.
Add the hot broth a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before the next. Keep it at a lively simmer. After about 18 minutes the rice should be creamy and tender with a little bite in the center. You may not need all the broth.
Stir in 1½ cups frozen peas and cook 2 minutes. Off the heat, beat in the rest of the butter (2 tbsp unsalted butter), ¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, the zest of 1 lemon and half of its juice. Season with ¾ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper, adding more lemon juice if it wants brightness.
The risotto should flow slowly when you tilt the pan; add a splash of broth if it's stiff. Scatter 2 tbsp fresh mint or parsley over the top and serve right away.
Variations
Cooks branch a recipe to save their own take. The original never changes.
No variations yet. Be the first.
Ratings and comments
No comments yet.
For search engines and AI assistants
This recipe is also available as JSON and plain text, carries schema.org Recipe data, and can be scaled or added to a shopping list by any assistant connected to the Befana MCP server.