Spring Pea Mint Risotto (Printer-Friendly)

A creamy risotto highlighting spring peas, mint, and Parmesan for a fresh, satisfying main course.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Rice

04 - 1.5 cups Arborio rice

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable stock, kept warm
06 - 0.5 cup dry white wine

→ Dairy

07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
08 - 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ Herbs & Seasonings

09 - 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 4 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
02 - Add Arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly, until grains are lightly toasted and coated in butter, about 2 minutes.
03 - Pour in dry white wine and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed.
04 - Begin adding warm vegetable stock one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Continue this process until rice is creamy and al dente, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
05 - Stir in peas during the final 5 minutes of cooking to maintain their bright color and tender texture.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan, mint, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until creamy.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh mint leaves.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, leaving you time to set the table and light candles instead of panicking in the kitchen.
  • Fresh mint and peas give it a brightness that makes everyone at the table sit up a little straighter, even when they're exhausted from work.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about stirring risotto—it's meditative in a way that other cooking really isn't.
02 -
  • Never let your stock go cold or stop stirring—these are the two things that ruin risotto more than anything else, and they're both totally preventable with a little attention.
  • If your risotto looks too thick when you finish it, stir in another ladle of warm stock rather than accepting defeat; it should flow slightly when you plate it, not sit in a stiff mound.
03 -
  • Keep your vegetable stock simmering in a separate pot the entire time you're cooking risotto—cold stock stops the cooking process and makes everything take longer.
  • The hardest part of risotto is knowing when to stop adding stock, but the rice should still flow slightly when you plate it, not stand in a stiff mound.
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