🇮🇹 Italy · Vegetarian
Pea & Broad Bean Risotto with Squash Crisps
A restaurant-style risotto finished to order with pea purée, green peas, broad beans, butter, Parmesan and crisp butternut squash garnish.
Behind the plate
In a busy restaurant kitchen, risotto is cooked in two stages: a controlled batch preparation followed by a fast final cook for each order. Par-cooking the rice and cooling it on trays protects the texture while giving the service team a consistent base.
This version layers the freshness of peas and broad beans with the richness of butter, cream and Parmesan. Fine butternut squash crisps add colour, height and a delicate crunch to the finished plate.
Why this recipe works
Toasting the rice with softened aromatics develops a nutty base. Reducing the wine removes harsh alcohol, and tray-cooling stops carry-over cooking. Each portion can then absorb its final liquid, pea purée and butter without becoming heavy or overcooked.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Arborio or Carnaroli risotto rice
- 400 g onion, evenly diced
- 100 ml olive pomace oil
- 50 g butter
- 400 ml dry white wine
- 50 g garlic, finely chopped
- 20 g fresh thyme, tied securely with kitchen string
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock, prepared with 22 g vegetable bouillon
- For each portion: equal parts water and cream, as needed
- For each portion: 30 g butter
- For each portion: 30 g pea purée
- Green peas and broad beans, to finish
- Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
- Parmesan, shaved to garnish
- Butternut squash crisps, to garnish
Method
- Prepare 1 litre of vegetable stock by dissolving 22 g vegetable bouillon in hot water. Keep the stock hot beside the risotto pan. Tie the thyme firmly with kitchen string so it can be removed cleanly.
- Warm the olive pomace oil and 50 g butter in a wide, heavy-based pan. Add the diced onions and sauté gently until soft and translucent without allowing them to colour.
- Add the garlic and tied thyme, followed by the rice. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring so every grain is coated and lightly toasted.
- Pour in the white wine and cook until it has reduced and the sharp alcohol aroma has disappeared.
- Add the hot vegetable stock in stages, stirring regularly. Continue until the rice is almost cooked but remains firm at the centre and the liquid has reduced around the grains.
- Remove and discard the thyme. Spread the par-cooked risotto in a thin, even layer on clean trays and cool it quickly. Cover and refrigerate as soon as it is cold.
- To finish one portion, place the par-cooked risotto in a clean pan with equal parts water and cream—just enough to loosen it. Reheat gently, stirring until the rice is hot and tender.
- Beat in 30 g butter and 30 g pea purée. Adjust the liquid until the risotto is glossy and flows softly from the spoon, then taste and correct the seasoning.
- Plate immediately. Garnish with green peas, broad beans, a little extra-virgin olive oil, shaved Parmesan and crisp butternut squash.
Chef’s notes
- Use a wide pan so the rice cooks evenly, and add hot—not cold—stock to maintain a steady cooking temperature.
- Cool the par-cooked rice rapidly in shallow trays. Do not leave a deep, hot batch at room temperature.
- The final risotto should be all’onda: loose enough to settle when the plate is tapped, but not surrounded by watery liquid.
- Add the butter and pea purée near the end so the colour stays fresh and the finish remains glossy.
At the table
Serve in a warm, wide bowl. Let the risotto form a natural pool, then arrange peas and broad beans through the centre. Finish with olive oil, delicate Parmesan shavings and butternut squash crisps for height and texture.
From the kitchen
