Risotto is by far my favorite carb that comes out of Italy. Yes, pasta is amazing, but the creaminess and texture of risotto cannot be beat. That, and knowing that a ton of stirring, love, and labor went into making a perfect risotto.
I also love that with each new season you can find variations of risotto, like this spring pea risotto. Right now is the perfect time for peas, and in this risotto they are blended with basil to make a bright green, delicious dish.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Peas – Peas are the star of this risotto, adding natural sweetness, freshness, and that bright spring flavor. You can use frozen peas if fresh are not in season, just thaw before using.
- Butter – Butter adds richness and helps build the base flavor when sautéing the onion. You can substitute with olive oil, but you will lose a bit of that classic creamy finish.
- White Wine- White wine adds acidity and complexity, helping to balance the richness of the risotto. If you prefer not to use wine, substitute with a splash of lemon juice or extra stock.
- Arborio Rice – Arborio rice is essential for risotto because of its high starch content, which creates that signature creamy texture. Do not substitute with regular rice, but Carnaroli or Vialone Nano are great alternatives
- Chicken Stock – Warm stock is gradually absorbed by the rice, building flavor and texture. You can substitute with vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian.
- Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan adds saltiness, umami, and creaminess to finish the risotto. Pecorino Romano can be used for a sharper flavor, or nutritional yeast for a dairy free option.
- Basil – Basil adds freshness and a pop of herbal brightness at the end. You can substitute with parsley or mint for a slightly different but still fresh finish.
Spring Pea Risotto
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 65 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups shelled peas, I used snow peas
- Salt
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4-6 cups hot chicken stock
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Prepare the peas. Remove the shells and reserve the peas. Blanch them in boiling salted water for 1 minute until cooked through and strain out. If using frozen peas, just defrost.
STEP 2.
Add a ladle of stock to the peas in a blender along with the basil. Blend until bright green and smooth. Set aside.
STEP 3.
Prepare your pots – one pot for heating up hot stock and one for risotto. Heat your stock and set aside with a lid on it. In your risotto pot heat to medium heat, add olive oil, add onions and sweat, salt as you go. Once the onions are cooked through, around 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and immediately add your rice. Begin stirring and let the rice soak up the wine.
STEP 4.
Once the rice soaks up the wine, add 1 ladles of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir continuously. Make sure the heat is on a medium to low simmer, not boiling. Boiling will result in uneven cooking. Risotto is a low and slow kind of process. Once all the liquid is soaked up by the rice continue the process by adding 2 more ladles and stirring. You will continue doing this until the rice is cooked through – around 30 minutes DONT RUSH IT! Make sure you salt as you go and taste the salt levels. Do this until the rice is very al dente.
STEP 5.
For the last two to three ladles, add the green pea mixture and cook in. You want to do this last so you don’t lose the bright green texture. Once the rice is al dente, but cooked through, turn off the heat.
STEP 6.
Stir in the parmesan cheese and taste for seasoning. Adjust as needed and serve!
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