Pea, Asparagus and Broad Bean Risotto

Pea, asparagus and broad bean risotto is the perfect spring dish that features a lovely hint of lemon and plenty of parmesan cheese.

Like all of my risotto recipes, this dish is traditionally cooked and takes around 45-50 minutes to prepare and cook.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

I love a good bowl of risotto, to me it is the ideal TV dinner, it’s a big bowl of loveliness that I so often associate with winter.

However risotto isn’t just a winter warmer, my site is littered with lighter spring and summer risotto recipes.

I have everything from a lovely lemon and prawn risotto to a marvellous basil and tomato risotto and fishy offerings like my smoked haddock risotto and a smoked mackerel risotto.

My latest offering rocks loads of spring/summer vegetables, it’s a wonderful broad bean, pea and asparagus risotto.

It gets a lovely lift from lemon zest and lemon juice and a liberal sprinkling of parmesan cheese helps give it that required creamy texture.

It’s a wonderfully simple dish to cook, even with all the stirring. Just pour yourself a glass of the wine, sup and stir, then before you know it dinner is ready!

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of risotto rice should I use?

I test all of my recipes with arborio rice, I do this because it is the most commonly available type.

If I am cooking risotto for me, I use carnaroli rice because it leads to a marginally creamier risotto. But it does require a little more care and attention and can become mushy if it is overcooked.

Do I have to remove the “jackets” from the broad beans?

Yes absolutely, those leathery jackets are practically inedible, it shouldn’t take longer than 4-5 minutes to pod them. You can do this whilst you are stirring the risotto if you like.

Do you have to constantly stir risotto?

No, it is a pretty chilled-out process, you should stir constantly for the first 5-8 minutes. It is important during the addition of the wine and the first couple of ladles of stock.

After that, you can give it a stir every minute or so giving it a jolly good stir with each addition of stock.

Do I have to rest the risotto?

For me, this step is often missed in risotto recipes and I think that it is essential. It helps everything knit together, and form that classic risotto creamy texture.

Can I cook this in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?

I have tried countless Slow Cooker/Instant Pot risotto recipes and I have never been happy with any of them. As a result, I choose not to develop recipes with those pieces of kit in mind.

Serving Suggestions

Risotto to me is a simple bowl of comfort food and this pea and asparagus number is no different, I rarely serve it with anything other than a lump of bread.

I prefer some focaccia or ciabatta, and this soft potato focaccia recipe is a real favourite of mine at the moment.

My wife prefers garlic bread, which to be fair, could be said about as an accompaniment to any meal!

Whilst it may not be my “cup of tea”, but I am aware many like serving risotto as a side dish.

If I were to do that I would choose a nice piece of pan-fried fish. Something like my pan-fried halibut or pan-fried hake would be perfect.

You could even serve this with my sea bream fillets, the parsley crumb would make a fantastic textural contrast.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 28cm or 11″ frying pan/skillet with a lid. You can improvise a lid with foil if needed.
• 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Ladle.
• Cheese grater.
• Citrus zester.
• Sieve or colander to defrost vegetables.
• A combination of weighing scales measuring jug or measuring cups and spoons.