Spring Pea Mint Risotto (Printer-Friendly)

A creamy risotto featuring fresh peas, mint, and Parmesan for a flavorful springtime dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Rice

04 - 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable stock, kept warm
06 - 1/2 cup dry white wine

→ Dairy

07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
08 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ Herbs & Seasonings

09 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

# Direction Steps:

01 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
02 - Add Arborio rice to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until grains are lightly toasted and coated in butter, about 2 minutes.
03 - Pour in the white wine and cook while stirring until mostly absorbed.
04 - Begin adding warm vegetable stock one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding the next addition. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and al dente, approximately 18 to 20 minutes total.
05 - Stir in the peas during the final 5 minutes of cooking to maintain their bright color and tender texture.
06 - Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan cheese, mint, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until creamy.
07 - Taste the risotto and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer to serving bowls immediately and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh mint leaves.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole dish comes together in under an hour, which means you can actually enjoy your guests instead of being glued to the stove.
  • Fresh mint and lemon zest transform simple risotto into something that tastes like spring on a plate.
  • It feels fancy enough to impress, but the technique is forgiving enough that even a slightly distracted cook can pull it off.
02 -
  • If your stock isn't warm, your risotto will cook unevenly and end up grainy instead of creamy—this lesson cost me an entire pot of rice one Sunday morning.
  • Keep the Parmesan and mint for finishing because heat destroys the delicate flavors they bring, and you want them to shine at the very end.
03 -
  • Keep your warm stock in a separate pot on a back burner so you can grab ladle-fulls without breaking your rhythm, and always add stock that's the same temperature as what's already in your risotto.
  • The moment you take risotto off the heat is when you add the final butter and cheese—never add these while the pan is still hot and cooking, because you want them to melt gently into the dish rather than getting scrambled.
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