How to cook RICE & PEAS VENETIAN-STYLE

Risi e bisi, otherwise known as rice and peas: one of the cornerstones of traditional Venetian cooking and a dish that contains the aroma of spring.

Are you ready to take a trip back in time to the era of the Serenissima of Venice?

SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg small and sweet peas
• 200 g Vialone Nano rice
• 50 g butter
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 2 slices of home-cured pancetta (pork-belly bacon)
• 1 liter or more of broth
• 50 g grated parmesan
• 2 green onions
• Parsley and salt to taste 

METHOD:

1. Prepare the base: shell and wash the peas, chop the white part of the green onions together with the parsley and fry them on low heat in a pan with the oil and half the butter. Add the pancetta diced into cubes
2. Simmer the peas: when the green onions begin to brown, add the peas and a couple of ladles of hot broth. Add salt, cover the pan and leave it to cook on a moderate heat for around ten minutes.
3. Add the rice: add the remaining hot broth before adding the rice and cooking, stirring often.
4. Cook until creamy: once the cooking is complete, mix it together with the remaining butter and add the grated parmesan.
5. Serve the rice and peas dish nice and hot: give it a try so you can also have a little taste of the magic of Venice!