This Jewish Venetian recipe of rice and peas is a cross between a risotto and a soup. This is a uniquely Venetian twist on the dish and is known as every Venetian’s comfort food of choice. In the Jewish Ghetto, this dish was often enjoyed during Passover, when rice was permitted, making it a cherished part of Venetian Jewish traditions.
Everyone says it is best to make this dish with fresh shelled peas but those are hard to find where I live so I went with frozen. I saw some versions where they pureed the peas into the broth to give it maximum pea flavor which works best when using frozen peas.
Traditionally made with pancetta the Jewish version uses the pea pod shells to make the broth. In lieu of the shells I pureed the peas into the broth.
This simple risotto doesn’t even require lots of stirring, but I assure you tastes like a professional risotto.
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- 7 cups vegetable broth
Risotto
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cup risotto rice
- ½ cup white wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
- Puree ½ cup peas with 1 cup broth in a blender, add to remaining 6 cups broth and heat until warm on a stove top or in microwave.
- In a large pot saute onion, parsley and garlic in butter and oil over medium heat.
- Add rice and stir well to coat, add wine and stir well. Cover with broth, salt and pepper, stir well.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir rice for 5 minutes, adding more broth if the rice dries out and tasting to adjust seasoning.
- When rice is creamy but still al dente, remove from heat, stir in frozen peas and Parmesan cheese. The dish should be liquidy and have a creamy consistency. Serve immediately.
