The pea and feta risotto, creamed with feta cheese, is a springtime first course with a fresh and delicate flavor.
What is the Pea And Feta Risotto?
The pea risotto is a creamy and inviting dish with a delicate taste. It’s a simple vegetarian recipe perfect for enjoying fresh peas in the spring.
The process is easy and slightly different from the classic risotto preparation: it doesn’t involve white wine, and the rice is cooked with a light pea cream. The result is a soft and delicate first course, enhanced by the addition of fresh cheese like feta or stracchino.
Asparagus risotto or zucchini risotto are also creamy but light and delicate in flavor, perfect for a spring lunch or dinner.
If you’re looking for other pea-based dishes, you can try pasta with peas, a delicious pea soup with feta crumbs, or rich spring lasagna.
Why you’ll like it
- Budget-Friendly: Peas are often inexpensive, making this dish a cost-effective option for families or anyone on a budget.
- Ease of Ingredients: The ingredients for this recipe are commonly found in grocery stores year-round, making it convenient to prepare anytime.
- Delicious Taste: The creamy texture of the risotto combined with the sweetness of the peas and the tanginess of the feta cheese create a delightful flavor profile that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
- Nutritious Macronutrients: Peas are rich in essential nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, providing a healthy addition to your meal. Additionally, feta cheese adds a source of calcium and protein to the dish.
- Versatile and Customizable: This recipe can be easily adapted to suit your preferences. You can adjust the seasoning, add extra vegetables, or even swap out the feta cheese for another type of cheese if desired
Pea Risotto Ingredients
- Carnaroli rice – 360 g of carnaroli rice
- Fresh peas – 200 g of fresh peas already shelled
- Feta cheese – 100 g of feta cheese (or spreadable cheese like crescenza or stracchino)
- Carrot – 1 carrot
- Onion – 1 onion
- Garlic – 2 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil, extra virgin
- Salt, to taste
How to Cook Pea and Feta Risotto
- Boil the vegetables. Blanch the fresh peas for a few minutes in abundant boiling salted water, with an onion, a carrot, and two cloves of garlic. Remove the legumes with a slotted spoon, keeping the cooking water with the onion and carrot in the pan.
- Blend the peas. Blend 2/3 of the peas with a little cooking water and a couple of spoons of extra virgin olive oil until you obtain a smooth semi-dense cream.
- Toast the peas and rice. In a saucepan, quickly brown the other blanched peas in oil and keep them aside. In the same saucepan, toast the rice and when the grains are hot, wet them with a generous ladle of the reserved cooking water.
- Cook the risotto. Add a spoon of pea cream and continue cooking with the pan covered, stirring occasionally, until about two-thirds of the necessary time. Finally, finish by adding all the pea cream and the peas sautéed in the pan.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cold cream cheese and a little raw extra virgin olive oil to refresh the vegetal scent. Divide the risotto with peas among individual plates and serve immediately.
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Pea and Feta Risotto
The risotto with peas, creamed with feta cheese, is a springtime first course with a fresh and delicate flavor.
Ingredients
- 360 grams of carnaroli rice
- 200 grams of fresh peas already shelled
- 100 grams of feta cheese or spreadable cheese like crescenza or stracchino
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Boil the vegetables. Blanch the fresh peas for a few minutes in abundant boiling salted water, with an onion, a carrot and two cloves of garlic. Remove the legumes with a slotted spoon, keeping the cooking water with the onion and carrot in the pan.
- Blend the peas. Blend 2/3 of the peas with a little cooking water and a couple of spoons of extra virgin olive oil until you obtain a smooth semi-dense cream.
- Toast the peas and rice. In a saucepan, quickly brown the other blanched peas in oil and keep them aside. In the same saucepan, toast the rice and when the grains are hot, wet them with a generous ladle of the reserved cooking water.
- Cook the risotto. Add a ladle of pea cream and continue cooking with the pan covered, stirring occasionally, until about two thirds of the necessary time. Finally, finish by adding little by little all the pea cream and lastly the peas sautéed in the pan.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cold cream cheese and a little raw extra virgin olive oil to refresh the vegetal scent. Divide the risotto with peas among individual plates and serve immediately.