pea risotto

This silky pea risotto combines the delicate pop of sweet peas with saucy rice, buttery onions, salty parmesan, and plenty of cracked pepper. It's all stirred together into a saucy, cozy, flavor-packed risotto.

Whenever I’m developing recipes, I love to double down on different forms of the same ingredient to layer in flavor and focus the dish. 

But in this case, I triple down: pea puree, whole peas, and fresh pea sprouts. They each bring different textures and a different type of pea-ness to the risotto.

If you’re looking for a way to bring spring into the kitchen and brighten up your dinner, this pea risotto is for you!

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pea risotto ingredients:

how to make pea risotto:

1. Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan and keep warm.
2. Puree ½ cup peas and a ladleful of stock in a food processor.
3. Gently cook onion and garlic until very soft, but not browned (add water to prevent caramelizing).
4. Stir in rice, cook until just translucent on the edges.
5. Add wine and cook until evaporated.
6. Add hot stock, little by little, until absorbed/ evaporated. Repeat process, stirring often, until rice is tender, toothsome and saucy, about 20 minutes.
7. Add pea puree and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
8. Stir in butter, grated parmesan, and remaining peas.
9. Garnish with a handful of pea sprouts and serve.

What makes this pea risotto so good?

• Pea puree: We blend up a handful of thawed peas with hot stock to make a smooth pea puree. This is the last bit of liquid we mix into the cooking risotto: it infuses the whole batch with a delicate pea flavor.
• Frozen peas: Believe it or not, frozen peas are often the sweetest peas you can buy. They’re frozen immediately after being picked when their sugar level is highest. Once peas are harvested, their sugar is rapidly converted into starch. This is why fresh peas from the store aren’t nearly as sweet as they are right off the plant. Unless you have access to super-fresh sweet peas (if you grow them or are picking them up from the farmer’s market the day of), frozen peas are the way to go.
• Extra-soft onions: I love to sauté the onions in butter very, very slowly, adding a splash of water towards the end to prevent them from caramelizing. The onions get so soft that they essentially melt away into the risotto. You’re left with sweet onion flavor and not much more. The chewy, saucy texture of the rice is half of what makes risotto so good, and big chunks of onion detract from that.
• Carnaroli rice: I’m sure you’ve heard of arborio as the gold standard of risotto rice. It’s good, but carnaroli rice is better. The latter has higher levels of starch, which translates into extra-saucy and silken risotto.
• Pea shoots: If you have access to pea shoots, either from the farmer’s market or because you grow them yourself, use them as a garnish! They bring a ton of fresh pea flavor, a sweet-tender crunch, and a whole lot of beauty.

Make this sweet pea risotto your own:

• Top with crispy crumbles of bacon or pancetta
• Stir in fresh lemon zest and a tablespoon or two of lemon juice (at the very end)
• Garnish with fresh mint
• Stir in crispy sauteed mushrooms (at the end)
• Use leeks instead of onions (just make sure to chop them, don’t slice, and sauté until very soft)

Meat to serve with pea risotto:

• Roasted chicken thighs
• Sliced ham
• Sautéed or grilled prawns
• Seared scallops
• Crispy-skinned salmon
• Grilled sausage
• Crumbled chorizo

Serve it on the side or chop cooked meat into small, bite-sized pieces, and fold it in at the very end of cooking.

How to make this risotto with fresh English peas:

You'll need about 2 pounds of fresh English peas for 2 cups of peas (the amount you need for this risotto).

1. Shell the peas.
2. Boil in salted water for about 1 minute, or until they rise to the surface.
3. Transfer to ice water to shock (this will lock in their bright green color!)
4. Use in the recipe as written.

more risotto recipes to try!

apple risotto

asparagus risotto

black truffle risotto

butternut squash risotto

farro mushroom risotto

lemon risotto

lobster risotto

mushroom risotto

parmesan risotto

saffron risotto

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