Risotto Verde Recipe

Risotto verde with spinach, green peas and broad beans topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Risotto Verde Recipe

Risotto verde has it's home in the "rustic" cooking of Northern Italy, the name translates to "green risotto", it is essentially a basic risotto (as if that could ever be a bad thing), that is finished with a green vegetable puree. My version adds both peas and broad beans to the very tradtional spinach.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Anglo Italian

Keyword green risotto, Pea and Spinach Risotto, risotto verde, Spinach Risotto Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Servings Servings

Calories 725kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

125 g Risotto Rice ⅔ Cup
1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g
65 g Butter ½ Stick
125 ml Dry Vermouth ½ Cup
500-650 ml Vegetable Stock 2-2½ Cups
35 g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese ⅓ Cup
Salt (as required)
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
125 g Broad Beans ¾ Cup
75 g Peas ⅔ Cup
75 g Spinach 1½ Packed Cups

Instructions

Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
Heat your stock in a small saucepan; you want to keep it hot during the entire cooking process.

Now is a good time to defrost the peas and broad beans if you are using frozen vegetables, by placing them in a sieve and running water over them.

Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium heat and add 50g of the butter (3 tablespoons), and when it begins to foam, add the shallots and soften for 2-3 minutes.
Add the risotto rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

The rice should begin to become translucent at the edges when it is ready.

Pour in the dry Vermouth and cook until almost all of the moisture has evaporated or been taken up by the rice. Again, stir constantly during this phase.
Add the stock a little at a time, begin with 75-100ml (⅓ cup) to begin with, and after the first few additions, you can add more stock at a time and also decrease the frequency of your stirring. Cook until the rice is very nearly done.
Whilst the risotto is cooking, remove the leathery cases from the broad beans and dispose of them.
Just before you add the last ladle of stock to the risotto, add the spinach, broad beans, peas and black pepper to a blender with 75ml (⅓ Cup) of stock and blend to form a smooth puree.
Add the last ladle of stock, and cook until the rice is cooked but with a very slight "bite", and you have a fairly "dry" risotto.

The process of cooking the rice in the stock should take 20-25 minutes.

Add the green puree to the risotto, stir until it is completely combined, then remove the pan from the heat.
Dot the remaining butter over the top of the risotto, then sprinkle over the parmesan cheese, add a lid and allow the risotto to sit for 5 minutes before stirring and serving.

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