Risotto with Tomatoes and Peas

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Introduction

This wonderfully creamy rice dish is served as a first course in Italy. Give it a try sometime. Risotto is really fun this way and a nice change from soup or salad. But it is also great as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish. We use the Italian arborio rice for this recipe because the grains are short and fat. This allows them to absorb the broth slowly and gives them the desired creamy texture. Look in the specialty rice section in your supermarket as luckily arborio is now fairly available nationwide. If you can’t find arborio, use the shortest grain of white rice available.

Ingredients

Steps

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped scallions and stir with a wooden spoon until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir until the grains are well coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add wine and allow it to come to a boil.
2. Now begin to add the hot chicken stock. Add about ¼ to ⅓ cup stock at a time. Stir it and allow the rice to almost completely absorb the stock before adding more. Adjust the heat under the saucepan so that mixture is kept at a slow bubble. You do not need to stir constantly, but you do want to stick around the kitchen and keep an eye on the pot.
3. Continue to add more stock and stir frequently until the grains of rice plump and get close to being tender, 20 to 25 minutes. There is no way to test for doneness other than biting on a grain of rice. You want the rice to be tender but not be mushy (al dente, with a little bite).
4. When the rice is nearly at this point, add diced tomatoes, peas, salt and pepper, and cream. Stir well for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing some of the cream to be absorbed. Just before serving, stir in chopped parsley and half the grated cheese. Spoon the risotto into warm bowls, top with the remaining cheese, and serve immediately.

Notes

• Risotto can also make a great main dish with the addition of a little seafood. Cooked small shrimp added just before serving is wonderful. Serve with a green salad and a crusty loaf of French bread.
• Substitute fresh asparagus for the peas. Trim the tough ends of the stalks, peel if desired (so they will cook more evenly), and cut into 1/2-inch segments. Add to the pot when beginning to add the hot stock.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.