Nigella Lawson's risotto is rich, delicious and perfect for September
I have been making this rich, cheesy pea risotto from Nigella's 'How to Eat' for years — it is perfect comfort food for autumn evenings and works beautifully with added bacon or pancetta.
- 60 grams butter
- 15 grams frozen peas
- One tablespoon of oil
- 200 grams arborio rice
- 80mls white wine
- In a small saucepan, melt a third of your butter and add the frozen peas. Cook for a couple of minutes until defrosted, then remove half the peas and set aside.
- Add a ladleful of stock to the remaining peas in the saucepan, cover and boil for five minutes until softened.
- Blitz this pea and stock mixture with one tbsp of parmesan, one tbsp butter and your nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside — try not to eat it all while cooking.
- In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter with your oil over a low heat, then add your onion and cook for one minute — taking care not to let it brown. Add your rice and stir thoroughly to ensure it absorbs all the buttery onion flavours, then reduce the heat and pour in your wine.
- Once the rice has soaked up the wine, add a ladleful of stock and continue stirring until fully absorbed.
- Repeat this process for approximately ten minutes, then introduce your reserved whole peas and cook for a further five to ten minutes.
- Once your rice is cooked through, fold in your pea purée along with the final tablespoon of parmesan.
- Serve and enjoy.
If you're tired of preparing the same meals time and again, yet still crave a satisfying dinner, then this is the recipe for you. This hearty, warming and indulgent risotto is an absolute delight on a chilly autumn evening, while the peas lend it a vibrant colour and wonderfully fresh flavour.
Originally from Nigella Lawson's 1998 book How to Eat, this is a recipe I have been preparing for as long as I can recall. Like all risottos, it demands a little patience, but the finished dish makes every moment of stirring thoroughly worthwhile.
This risotto is magnificent on its own, yet it's also greatly enhanced by the addition of bacon or pancetta for a satisfying salty edge.
It's an ideal dish for large family gatherings or dinner parties, as it scales up effortlessly, and any leftovers — should there be any — store wonderfully.
If you'd like to give this recipe a go, here's what you'll need:
