AP – Risotto has a fussy reputation, but it’s utterly weeknight-friendly and can be made start to finish in just over half an hour.
It’s also versatile and adaptable, and a great way to use up ingredients you already have in your kitchen, including frozen vegetables.
In this recipe from our book Cook What You Have, which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, we transform a few basic ingredients into a risotto bursting with bright, bracing flavours.
To begin, we sauté onions in butter until soft, then add Arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are translucent at the edges.
Hot broth is stirred into the rice a little at a time, until the rice is al dente and loose but not soupy. The rice is done when the grains are tender but retain a slight chew at the centre; they should not be evenly soft throughout.
Off heat, a little more butter is added for richness, along with savoury Parmesan cheese.
Thawed frozen peas add a pop of colour and sweetness, and a combination of lemon juice and zest brightens and balances the creaminess of the dish while adding a complex floral note.
Chopped fresh parsley, basil or mint sprinkled on top just before serving offers vibrant colour, flavour and fragrance; use whichever you have.
LEMON AND GREEN PEA RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS
– Three tablespoons salted butter, cut into one-tablespoon pieces, divided
– One small yellow onion, finely chopped
– Kosher salt and ground black pepper
– One cup Arborio rice
– One-and-a-half cups frozen peas, thawed and patted dry
– Two teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus two tablespoons lemon juice
– One ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (half cup), plus more to serve
– Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley OR basil OR mint, to serve
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan over medium, bring the broth and two cups water, covered, to a simmer; reduce to low to keep warm.
In a large saucepan over medium, melt two tablespoons butter.
Add the onion and quarter teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about five minutes.
Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are translucent at the edges, one to two minutes.
Add three cups of the hot broth mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high.
Reduce to medium and cook, stirring often and briskly, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes; adjust the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer.
Cook, adding quarter cup of the broth at a time, until the rice is al dente and loose but not soupy, another eight to 10 minutes.
You may not need all of the broth. Off heat, stir in the remaining one tablespoon butter, the peas, lemon zest and juice, and Parmesan.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with parsley and additional Parmesan.
