Creamy Pea Pod Risotto
April 28, 2019
Don’t throw away pea pods!
Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, by Pellegrino Artusi, is a book that should be studied in schools. First of all, because of its historical and cultural importance: for Italian cuisine, it has a value comparable to that of the Divine Comedy for the Italian language. First published in 1891, it is the first book to include recipes from all Italian regions in a single volume, making them accessible to families throughout Italy. It is also delightfully well written: there is not a word too many or out of place, and it is imbued with a savory irony that allows it to be enjoyed as if it were fiction. But above all, it is the kind of book where you can find answers to all your questions: hidden between the lines are ideas and insights that still amaze and pique the curiosity (and appetite) of those who read it today.
The day before yesterday, I had a nice box of fresh peas, bought in their pods. After shelling them, I found myself with a bowl of legumes and a mountain of bright green shells, rising from the centre of the table towards the chandelier. A little sad at the idea of entrusting the fruit of my labor to the garbage collector, I asked myself: is it possible that no one has ever thought of a creative use for these objects?
Artusi had.
At the bottom of recipe no. 427, I found this note that seemed just right for me:
If the pea pods are tender and fresh, they can be cooked in water and passed through a sieve. This produces a purée which, when added to broth, adds delicacy to a vegetable soup or a rice and cabbage soup. It can also be mixed with the water used to cook the risotto with peas n. 75.
By experimenting and refining it, I have managed to come up with a whole recipe, which I now present to you. The end result is absolutely amazing!
Ingredients
- Rice: 2 cups
- Fresh peas in pods: 1 kg
- White onion: half
- White wine: half a cup
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Preparation
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Wash the pea pods and shell the peas, setting them aside (we won’t need them anymore, so we can use them for other recipes!).
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Rinse the pods thoroughly and, after removing the stems, cut them into small pieces.
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Boil the pods in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes, then drain them and save the cooking water.
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Add a drizzle of oil to a non-stick pan and sauté the pods for a few minutes, adding a pinch of salt.
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Remove the pods from the pan and pass them through a sieve, adding half a cup of the cooking water to remove the skins and filaments. You will obtain a smooth green cream.
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Finely chop the white onion and brown it in a pan. In the same pan, toast the rice for a few minutes and deglaze with half a cup of white wine.
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Cook the rice until done, gradually adding the cooking water from the pods and continuing to stir for about 15-20 minutes.
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When the rice is almost cooked, add the pod cream and season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot, adding Parmesan cheese to taste.
Buon appetito!