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Venetian Rice and Peas (Risi e Bisi)
Rice and peas, or risi e bisi, is a classic Venetian dish, traditionally eaten on April 25, St. Mark’s Day. Much like risotto, the rice is rich and creamy because of the starchiness of the grains and how they are cooked. But risi e bisi typically is a bit soupier. Sweet peas stud the dish, and in the version taught to us by Michela Tasca, owner of Ca’ de Memi farm and bed and breakfast in Piombino Dese outside of Venice, the al dente grains were bathed in beautiful pale green broth, a result of peas pureed into the cooking liquid. For our version, we puree peas plus fresh parsley with a small amount of a broth infused with aromatics. To keep the flavors and color vibrant, we hold off on adding the puree, along with additional whole peas, until the rice has finished cooking. Pancetta provides salty, meaty backbone and fennel seeds, with their notes of licorice, complement the grassy, sweetness of the peas. Vialone nano is the preferred variety of Italian medium-grain rice for risi e bisi, but easier to find Arborio works just as well.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t thaw all of the peas. The 1 cup of peas that’s blended with hot broth and parsley should be kept frozen so that the puree remains a brilliant green; the 1 cup stirred in at the end should be fully thawed and at room temperature so the peas don’t cool the rice.
1¼ hours
Ingredients
-
1
medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
-
1
large white onion, half thinly sliced, half finely chopped
Directions
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01In a large pot, combine the carrot, the sliced onion, celery, fennel seeds, broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover, reduce to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables have softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
Pardon the interruption
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April 14, 2023
great recipe and instructions
I was able to follow this recipe exactly as written because the instructions were so clear. Because of where I am, I couldn't find pancetta so I used bacon instead. I think it would've been better with the pancetta but it was a fantastic dish.
April 3, 2023
Question
We don't eat pork. Is there a beef alternative to the pancetta that would do well? Using turkey bacon seems undistinguished. XD
August 9, 2023
Best risotto style dish ever!
The single best risotto like dish I’ve ever made. 5+ stars
Hi John -
You can omit the pancetta and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. We highly recommend making your own vegetable broth over buying it in the market as canned or boxed vegetable broths often have an "off" flavor. We have a great, quick recipe, which you can find here - https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/easy-vegetable-broth. If you've got one, I'd add the rind of a hunk of parmesan to the broth for added flavor.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
This was very good. My stepmother was from the Veneto, and she made it the traditional way which cooked the pea pods in vegetable broth for an hour or so, til soft, and put them through a food mill into the risotto. More labor intensive, but so good if you are inclined. Something synergistic about rice and peas, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
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What do you suggest to modify this for a vegetarian?