So peas to be home risotto

I’ve been working away for the past 11 months which meant that my posts have tended to be meaty dishes for one during the week and veggie extravaganzas at the weekend. Well I’m now back at home, wooo, and to celebrate I made a veggie classic for Ju. Risotto is the “go to” meal for restaurants who can’t really be bothered with veggies but done right they are awesome. Unlike my previous risotto post, this one is designed to be lighter and fresher, bit of a summery version but still uber filling.

Pea and mint risotto with courgette ribbons

• 300g arborio rice
• Saucepan full of veggie stock or bouillon
• Bunch of spring onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Big bunch fresh mint (and I mean a big bunch)
• Handful of mozzarella
• Large cup full of peas
• 1 courgette
• 1 lemon

Peel and dice the garlic and chop the spring onions. Add the garlic to a pan with a drizzle of oil and cook for a minute then add the onion and cook until soft, probably another minute. In a saucepan keep the stock hot but don’t boil it. Add the rice to the onion and stir, cooking dry for a minute. Now add hot stock to the rice a bit at a time, stirring well and letting the rice suck up all that stocky goodness. Make sure you keep moving the rice and adding more stock when it’s looking thirsty.

Not sure how long is the correct length of time to cook the rice, best bet is to keep tasting the rice and cook to taste. Chop the fresh mint (this dish is meant to be minty so be generous)and add to the rice along with a big scrunch of pepper, keeping a bit of mint aside for garnish . Now add the peas as these don’t need long to cook. Once the rice is cooked, tear the mozzarella and drop in, mixing into the rice. This will give the risotto a gooey, stringy texture that rocks.

I served it with a bundle of courgette, making a well for it in the middle of the risotto. Cut the courgette into ribbons with a speedy peeler and dress with a bit of oil and lemon juice. The lemon worked really well with the fresh mint, if I’d thought about it I would have put some zest into the rice for an extra bit of jazz. Garnish with some of the spare fresh mint and serve. That’s it!

Mint and pea risotto

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