Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups fresh peas (about 500 g), pods reserved
• 1 cup Vialone Nano rice (about 180 g)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (1 liter)
• 1 oz pancetta, diced (30 g)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (30 g)
• ⅓ cup grated Grana Padano (or Parmigiano Reggiano), 30 g
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Prepare the broth
   Make your vegetable broth. Shell the peas and set the peas aside. Add the empty pea pods to the broth and simmer everything together for about 1 hour.
2. Blend and strain
   Purée the broth with an immersion blender, then strain it. Keep the broth hot.
3. Sauté the aromatics
   In a large pot, melt half the butter with the diced pancetta and chopped onion. Sauté until the onion is soft and the pancetta begins to brown.
4. Add the peas
   Stir in the peas and let them sauté lightly for a couple of minutes. Add one ladleful of broth and a spoonful of chopped parsley. Cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Add the rice
   Bring everything to a simmer, then add the rice. Cook like a loose risotto, adding more broth as needed.
6. Achieve the right texture
   Risi e bisi should be thick and creamy, somewhere between a soup and a risotto — not too brothy, not too dry.
7. Finish the dish
   Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter, grated cheese, and black pepper. Serve immediately.