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Risi e Bisi Recipe (Authentic Venetian Rice and Peas)
Risi e Bisi is a traditional Venetian rice and peas recipe, especially popular in spring when fresh peas are at their sweetest. The name simply means “rice and peas” in Venetian dialect, and the dish is typical of Veneto cuisine, especially the cities of Venice and Vicenza.This Italian rice and peas dish has a unique texture, somewhere between a creamy risotto and a thick soup. It should be soft and creamy, not too dry and not too runny, with enough broth to be eaten with a spoon.
Ingredients
- 350 g Vialone Nano rice - 1 ¾ cups
- 1 kg fresh peas in the pod - 2.2 pounds
- lightly salted water - as needed, for cooking the pea pods
- 1 liter vegetable broth, chicken or hen broth - 4 ¼ cups
- 60 g unsulted butter - about ½ stick
- 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g pancetta - 2 oz
- 50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano - ½ cup
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare the vegetable broth, chicken broth, or hen broth, according to your taste. Keep it warm, as you will use it later to cook the peas and rice.
- Then shell the peas, keeping the pods aside. Once you have shelled all the peas, wash the pods very well under running water.
- Place the pods in a large pot with lightly salted water and boil them for about 45 minutes.
- Once cooked, blend them with an immersion blender until you get a thick puree. Then pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer or colander to collect the liquid and remove the fibrous part.Keep this green pea pod liquid warm. You will add it to the rice later to give Risi e Bisi its traditional fresh pea flavor.
- Finely chop the onion and cut the pancetta into small pieces.
- Place the oil, half the butter, the onion and the pancetta in a large skillet or saucepan.
- Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and the pancetta has released its flavor.
- Then add the chopped parsley and stir.
- Add the shelled peas and two ladles of the hot broth. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the warm pea pod liquid, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and add the rice.
- Cook slowly for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. During cooking, add more hot broth as needed, one ladle at a time. Risi e Bisi should never become dry like a firm risotto. The final consistency should be soft, creamy and slightly brothy, more like a thick soup.
- When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add the remaining butter.
- Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir until creamy. Serve Risi e Bisi immediately, hot and soft, with a little extra Parmigiano if you like.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 786kcalCarbohydrates: 112gProtein: 26gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 1392mgPotassium: 802mgFiber: 16gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 3088IUVitamin C: 105mgCalcium: 248mgIron: 5mg
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