Full of Spring flavors, this Spring Pea Risotto is a perfect meatless dinner option or a great side dish to compliment any main course. No need to babysit this risotto, you add the broth and let it cook for twenty minutes and you are ready to eat this delicious meal.
What are the Main Ingredients
Arborio- Risotto is an Italian dish that is made with Arborio rice because the rice gives the risotto is creamy, starchy texture. This is the Arborio rice I use. When cooked, the rice produces more starch than long grain rice would. This gives the risotto it's classic, creamy texture.
Spring Peas- I used frozen Spring Peas here, but if you had it, you could use fresh peas. I would lightly blanch the peas by putting them in boiling water for one minute, and then add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. You will then cook them more once you add them to the risotto.
Lemon Zest- The zest of the lemon has a more concentrated lemon flavor, so that is why I added the zest instead of the juice. When the juice cooks in a dish like this, it tends to get a little more bitter. By adding the zest at the end once the cooking is done, it stays nice and bright so you get that zesty, lemony punch,
How to Make the Risotto
Traditionally, risotto is made by heating the broth, and adding it into the rice mixture one scoop at a time until the broth is cooked off, and then you would add another scoop. This recipe allows you to add all the broth at once, let it cook for twenty minutes, and then you don't have to sit and babysit it for the entire cooking time. Who has time for that??
In a large pan that has a fitted lid, add the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat. I find using a braising pan is the best option. Allow the butter to melt and then add diced onions and minced garlic. Stay close to the pan here, because the garlic can burn very easily. Cook that for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent (meaning they become almost clear).
Once the onions are translucent, add the rice and cook it in the olive oil and onion mixture. This is toasting the rice. Cook that for another two minutes to get the flavor of the onions and garlic into the rice.
Add the wine to the rice and cook until the rice is cooked off. That should only take two minutes. Add the broth and stir to combine everything. Once the broth is stirred in, cover the pan and allow that to cook on medium-low heat for twenty minutes.
Once the twenty minutes is up, add the peas and the parmesan cheese. Stir until the parmesan has melted. Top with the lemon zest and serve immediately! Enjoy!
Questions??
Arborio rice is the best option for risotto. Long grain and Jasmine rice do not produce the same starch that the Arborio rice produces. Arborio rice is readily available in almost all grocery stores, so it is very easy to find.
Definitely not! This is the method to making risotto. If you do not want to use peas, I would leave them add. You can substitute asparagus, mushrooms, or zucchini. Really, you can add any vegetable you want once you have the method to making this risotto down.
Definitely! If you are not worried about this being vegetarian, feel free to use chicken broth! Also, if you don't have wine or don't feel comfortable cooking with wine, simply omit it and add more broth.
Other Recipes to try!
Did you give this recipe a try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and let me know (@Lynnswayoflife) !
- Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Homemade Bolognese Sauce
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
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Spring Pea Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Onion Chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice
- ½ Cup White Wine
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 ½ Cups Frozen Peas
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese Grated
- 2 Lemons Zested
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter on medium heat until butter melted.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Stir and allow that to cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the Arborio rice and toast the rice in the olive oil and butter. Stir continuously for two minutes.
- Add the wine to the pan. Cook the rice until the pan looks dry and the wine has cooked off. This will take another two minutes.
- Add the broth. Stir to combine all the ingredients and cover the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook the rice for 20 minutes. No need to stir the risotto during this time.
- After the 20 minutes is up, add the peas and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the peas have started to heat through.
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir. Cook for another minute to melt the parmesan. Top with the zest of two lemons and stir. Serve immediately.
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