Description
This Spring Pea Risotto is a creamy, flavorful Italian classic enhanced with fresh peas, aromatic shallots, garlic, and a zesty lemon finish. Perfect for a comforting yet elegant meal, it features arborio rice cooked slowly in vegetable stock and finished with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs for a vibrant springtime dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh peas
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup white cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 4 cups vegetable stock (substitute chicken stock or water)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint (substitute other fresh herbs like basil)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Blanch the peas: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Drop the peas into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the peas to the ice bath for about 20 seconds to stop cooking. Drain and set aside, ensuring peas remain crisp and bright green.
- Heat the stock: In a medium pot, heat your vegetable stock over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet or stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add diced shallots and minced garlic, sautéing for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Toast the rice: Add the arborio rice to the skillet and stir frequently for 2 minutes to toast the grains lightly.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white cooking wine and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add stock and thyme gradually: Add ½ cup of the warm vegetable stock along with the fresh thyme. Stir the risotto until the liquid is fully absorbed. Continue adding stock ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice is cooked through and creamy, about 18-20 minutes in total.
- Finish with peas and seasoning: Stir in the parmesan cheese, blanched peas, and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish the risotto with fresh mint or other herbs and sprinkle lemon zest on top. Serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- This risotto is vegetarian, and you can make it vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese; it will still be creamy and delicious.
- Check the cooking instructions on your arborio rice and adjust the amount of stock as necessary, typically using a 1:4 ratio of rice to liquid.
- If you don’t have vegetable broth, you can substitute water, though the risotto will have a milder flavor.
- For an extra fresh presentation, add a handful of microgreens or additional fresh peas as garnish.
