Risi e bisi

Veneto
Preparation - Easy
Serves 6

This is a fairly liquid rice dish, with the grains well separated. It has the consistency of a thick soup, not of a risotto.

3 T (2oz/60g) butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 oz (60 g) pancetta or rindless bacon, chopped
4 cups (1 qt/1 L) meat broth (stock)
l0 oz (315g) shelled, fresh peas
1 2/3 cups (lO oz/315 g) Arborio rice
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 T chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add onion and pancetta and cook until onion is translucent.

Meanwhile, bring the broth to boil in a saucepan. Add the peas and rice to the bacon mixture and pour half the broth over. Gradually add almost all of the boiling broth and cook for 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper; stir in the Parmesan and enough additional broth so that the mixture is fairly liquid. Sprinkle with parsley and let rice rest for a couple of minutes away from the heat before serving.

Adapted from:
Italy the Beautiful Cookbook
Lorenza De'Medici
Collins Publishers