RISI E BISI is a simple yet delightful dish from the Venetian tradition, particularly from Venice, Vicenza and Verona. It is a historic recipe from the Serenissima Republic, where it signaled the start of spring and was served to the Doge during the feast of St. Mark. Even today it is offered in winter and spring, when peas can be easily found fresh, and represents an excellent first course with inimitable characteristics.
Risi e bisi is tasty yet delicate, easy to make but not banal, as you will see from the recipe. As tradition teaches, you must pay attention to the details if you want to make it properly: broth made with the pods, fresh peas, quality rice and pancetta, cooking al dente but leaving the risotto a bit brothy. In short, small details to bring to the table a dish fit for a king or, better, a Doge…
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 6 1/4 cups peas (fresh)
- 2 cups Vialone Nano rice
- 3.5 oz pancetta (lean)
- 4.25 cups vegetable broth
- Half golden onion
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1.5 oz Grana Padano, grated
- as needed parsley
- as needed salt
- as needed black pepper
Steps
To prepare RISI E BISI, first shell the peas and thoroughly wash the pods. In a pot place plenty of water, the pea pods and a vegetable bouillon cube (I used a concentrated broth cube). Of course you can make it yourself with onion, celery and carrot. Turn on the heat and simmer everything for 30 minutes.
In a pan, gently sauté the finely chopped onion over low heat, add the pancetta cut into pieces and let it flavor.
Add the peas, salt, pepper and let cook for 10 minutes, adding a little water or broth as needed. Finally add the parsley and stir.
In a risotto pot, or a heavy, wide-bottomed pan, add a drizzle of oil and toast the rice for 2 minutes, stirring continuously so it doesn’t burn.
Add half of the peas and cook by adding a little broth at a time, stirring occasionally. At halfway through cooking add the remaining peas and finish cooking.
Be careful: the result should not be that of a classic risotto, but rather a sort of soup, so with more liquid.
With the heat off add the cold butter and the Grana Padano and stir to emulsify. Cover with the lid and let rest for 2 minutes.
Plate the risi e bisi and enjoy this delight while hot.
TIPS
To make the risi e bisi creamier and more flavorful you can blend some of the cooked pods with a little of the broth. Then pass it through a sieve to remove the tougher parts and add it to the rice.
To make the risi e bisi creamier and more flavorful you can blend some of the cooked pods with a little of the broth. Then pass it through a sieve to remove the tougher parts and add it to the rice.
