Risi e Bisi | Venetian Rice and Peas

The Venetian rice and peas with Parmigiano Reggiano is a Venetian classic with many modifications and adaptations. “Who is allowed to cook what dish and still call it by its traditional name is a debate that will never be put to an end.” This is a quote in Eat by Gabrielle Hamilton on the New York Times on April 18, 2021. It stirs my curiosity and prompts me to try my hand on this classic — expanding my springtime cooking repertoire.

Risi e bisi (rice and peas), the Venetian risotto-cum-soup, is traditionally served on April 25, the Feast of St. Mark’s (also known as Doge’s Day). It’s a celebration of the arrival of the new season’s peas in the Rialto market. A bit of history and tradition seems appropriate to ground the dish. At the same time, I want to adapt to the seasonal and local sensibilities of the regional New York area.

Marcella Hazan has a comparable recipe for risi e bisi. OK, except for this part: “No alternative to fresh peas is suggested in the ingredients list, because the essential quality of this dish resides in the flavor that only good, fresh peas possess.” For Marcella, risi e bisi is the essence of spring: it captures the elusive sweetness of fresh peas. She uses not just the peas but the pods, which are added to the broth, creating a kind of sweet pea-infused stock. It’s brilliant.

Dear readers, I hope you don’t mind that I do away with fresh peas. The traditionalists will disapprove my substitution. But the fact is there are always frozen peas on standby. It makes me happy that there are recipes I can lean on without frenzied shopping and careful execution. However, I’ll use fresh baby zucchinis from Trader Joe’s. They seem to possess the power to stop me on my track when I shop there. So I grab a 12-oz bag. Easy and seasonal!

Marcella Hazan also writes: “although it uses Arborio rice, this isn’t risotto — there’s no stirring. It’s a thick, rich soup; it verges on stew. It is at its best when it is just runny enough to require a spoon.”

In a traditional risotto, you have to add broth slowly to the rice, stirring patiently as it is absorbed, ladleful by ladleful. With risi e bisi, to get the requisite soupy texture you pour in all the broth in one go, put on a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes or so. You need neither skill nor patience. Sometimes at the end of a long day, I am grateful for a carefree approach. I won’t mind it either way — soupy or risotto texture. Meanwhile, there is a spoon sitting by the pot. I can’t help stirring the pot, from time to time.

For the reason of simplicity, I’m totally on board with Nigella Lawson’s recipe. She makes it so simple, no peeling of an onion, just use scallions instead. The quality of spring onions are remarkable. So it’s spring onions, the ingredient of choice.

With all the changes, dare I say this is a no-recipe recipe. Well, almost! Happy spring!

Print Recipe

Risi e Bisi | Venetian Rice and Peas by Nigella Lawson

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces baby zucchini, cut into coins
• 1 small onion or 5-6 spring onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• 1 cup Italian arborio rice
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth or Parmigiano-Reggiano rind broth
• 10 ounces frozen young peas, thawed
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

1

Bring stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cover and keep warm.

2

In the large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, over medium-low heat. Add the baby zucchini, season with a pinch of salt. Stir and sweat until they start to release their own water, begin to soften and become a little translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3

In a large saucepan, combine remaining 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil and place over medium-low heat. When butter has melted, add onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add 1 tablespoon parsley (optional). Continue to sauté until onion is tender, another 1 to 2 minutes.

4

Add peas and toss to mix. Alternatively, if you prefer crunchy peas, put them in at the end of cooking together with the zucchinis, when the rice is done.

5

Add rice and stir until grains are well coated with butter. Pour in 3 cups of the broth, stirring from time to time and allowing stock to be absorbed. Add the remaining 2 cups of stock and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, about 22-25 minutes total. Stir well and add reserved baby zucchinis and peas. Cover, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer until rice is cooked and somewhat creamy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to sit covered for 10 minutes before serving.

6

To serve, stir in 4 tablespoons Parmesan and sprinkle with remaining parsley (optional). Transfer to the serving bowls. Serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from Nigella Lawson recipe on the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/04/style/dining/at-my-table-from-venice-a-celebration-of-new-peas.html?_r=0