Sweet Pea Risotto

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side dish

If you prefer a vegetarian risotto, you can substitute salted hot water or vegetable stock for the chicken stock; if you have any Parmesan rinds lying around, add them to make it more flavorful. A large saucepan is the best pot for cooking risotto, in my opinion, because it prevents the stock from boiling off too quickly, giving the grains time to absorb it. Risotto is a quickcooking dish; start to finish, it should take under 30 minutes. Once you’re comfortable with the basic risotto technique, feel free to riff. You can use leeks or scallions in place of onion, and experiment with adding other vegetables to the mix. (For example, asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces, could be added at the end of the cooking time.) If you’d like, garnish this risotto with pan-fried prosciutto crisps or pancetta cubes.

Kosher salt

1½ cups peas

2 ounces pea shoots, plus more for garnish

6 to 7 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon heavy cream, half-and-half or milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice

3½ ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 1¼ cups grated)

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Instructions: Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add a few tablespoons of salt. Prepare an ice bath: Fill a medium bowl halfway with ice cubes and add a bit of cold water. Set nearby. When the water is boiling add the peas and pea shoots and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer the peas and pea shoots to the ice bath; reserve the saucepan. Let stand until cold, then drain. Reserve ½ cup of the peas, then transfer the remainder of the peas and pea shoots to a blender or food processor and add ¼ cup of the chicken stock and the cream. Blend or process until smooth, then season to taste with salt. Set aside.

Pour the remaining chicken stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the large saucepan to the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add the butter and, when the butter has melted, add the onions and a few generous pinches of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and light golden, about 8 minutes (if the onions are browning too quickly, decrease the heat). Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the edges of each grain are beginning to look translucent and the rice is making a “plinking” sound in the pan.

Add a few ladlefuls of stock to the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, then add another ladleful of stock. Continue this process, adding more ladlefuls of stock anytime the rice looks dry, until the rice is creamy and al dente (you may use all the stock, or have a bit remaining). As the risotto cooks, monitor the heat and adjust as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. From start to finish, the risotto should take about 30-35 minutes. Stir in the pea puree, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and the reserved ½ cup peas. The risotto should be very creamy and fairly fluid, with an almost pourable consistency (this texture is called all’onda in Italian, which translates as “wavy”); if it’s too thick, you can add a bit of the remaining chicken stock, if you have some, or hot water to thin. Taste the risotto and season with salt and lemon juice. Divide the risotto among warmed plates or bowls, garnish with pea shoots (if using) and serve immediately.