Pea and Mint Orzo Risotto
on Apr 04, 2024
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Spring has officially entered the chat, so let’s welcome this pea and mint orzo risotto! Blanched peas are blended with fresh mint, and finished off with lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. You can serve this as a main for dinner, or a side dish for any main meal. If you’re looking for more orzo recipes, be sure to check out our Cacio e Pepe Orzo and White Cheddar Orzo with Crispy Sage and Mushrooms.
What ingredients do you need for this pea and mint orzotto?
Orzo pasta: We are using short-grain orzo for this recipe! You can most definitely substitute out short-grain rice, or arborio rice, too.
Green peas: We think peas do not get the love they deserve! When it’s in season, the flavor of fresh peas is unmatched. It is creamy, but also crunchy. You can most definitely use frozen peas, here, though.
Mint: The mint really brings this all together. The mint is being blended within the pea puree but also topped with. It brings a lightness and brightness to this orzotto.
Shallot and garlic: The aromatics for this recipe. You can use onions as well, but we personally love the subtle flavor from shallot and garlic in this!
Vegetable broth: But you can also use chicken broth, or water.
Lemon: Another brightening element to this recipe, lemon zest and juice are tossed off heat before serving.
Humboldt fog: A very citrusy and creamy cheese. Rind removed, crumbled, plus more for serving
Instructions to make this pea risotto
Blanch your peas
Place your peas in a medium pot, large saucepan, or Dutch oven with 1 cup of water and a big pinch of kosher salt. Bring this to a boil, then to a gentle simmer, until your peas turn a vibrant green, and soften a tad. I do prefer a little bite to the peas, so I won’t wait too long, about 6 minutes.
Make your pea puree
Drain out 1/2 cup of peas using a slotted spoon or spider tool to a bowl, and set aside. Transfer the rest of the peas, with the pea water to a blender. You don’t need to add salt here since the water is already salty enough. Keep your pot on the stovetop.
Toss in your mint leaves and blend until completely smooth. Your mixture should be a vibrant green and a thin consistency.
Prepare your orzo risotto
On medium heat, add your olive oil to the pot, and warm until shimmering. Add your garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until softened just a tad and fragrant, you don’t want any color on these.
Transfer in orzo, continuing to stir. Add in your green pea liquid, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this in batches until there is no more pea water.
Add 2 more cups of water or broth now, ½ cup at a time. Adjust with more water or broth as needed, until your orzo is cooked through, and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Finish assembling and serve
Turn off the heat, and add in your reserved peas, crumbled Humboldt Fog, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Give this all one big toss until your cheese is melted.
Serve, and top with more crumbled cheese, mint, and black pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
Yes! Any type of seafood or fish will work great with this, such as shrimp or scallops. You can also add chicken to this as well.
A beautiful side salad would work great for this risotto! Start with our Spring Panzanella! Or if you’re looking for a main dish, try our Slow Roasted Salmon.
In this version, we are not using wine, actually! But traditionally, it is used. You can find a more classic risotto with wine from our Mushroom Risotto. But if you don’t want to use it at all, you can definitely omit.
Check out the below Spring recipes for more dinner inspiration!
Fish & Seafood
Halibut en Papillote with Green Olive Salsa Verde
Soups & Stews
Roasted Red Pepper And Tomato Soup
If you do make this Pea and Mint Orzo Risotto recipe (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and through social media so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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Pea and Mint Orzo Risotto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces green peas, fresh or frozen
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 2 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
- 1/2 large wedge of Humboldt fog, rind removed, crumbled, plus more for serving
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
Instructions
- Place your peas in a medium pot, large saucepan, or Dutch oven with 1 cup of water and a big pinch of kosher salt. Bring this to a boil, then to a gentle simmer, until your peas turn a vibrant green, and soften a tad. I do prefer a little bite to the peas, so I won’t wait too long, about 6 minutes.
- Drain out 1/2 cup of peas using a slotted spoon or spider tool to a bowl, and set aside. Transfer the rest of the peas, with the pea water to a blender. You don’t need to add salt here since the water is already salty enough. Keep your pot on the stovetop.
- Add in your mint leaves and blend until completely smooth. Your mixture should be a vibrant green and a thin consistency.
- On medium heat, add your olive oil to the pot, and warm until shimmering. Add your garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until softened just a tad and fragrant, you don’t want any color on these.
- Add in orzo, continuing to stir. Add in your green pea liquid, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this in batches until there is no more pea water.
- Add 2 more cups of water or broth now, ½ cup at a time. Adjust with more water or broth as needed, until your orzo is cooked through, and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat, and add in your reserved peas, crumbled Humboldt Fog, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Give this all one big toss until your cheese is melted.
- Serve, and top with more crumbled cheese, mint, and black pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
