Northern Italy

This week I’m making 2 dinners from the Northern Region of Italy. Since the regional cooking is so different, I wanted to give Italy 3 or 4 weeks so I can showcase each part separately.

I decided to make one risotto dish and one polenta dish this week. Tonight’s risotto recipe is a very common, traditional dish, Risi e Bisi, or Rice and Peas. This is actually one of my favorite dishes! I found a version in a Mario Batali cookbook that looked outstanding because it added prosciutto. I ate mine with a salad, and I made some roasted garlic chicken sausage for my husband.

Risi e Bisi

(Venetian Style Rice and Peas)

1/4 c. EVOO

4 shallots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped (omitted)

2 oz. prosciutto in 1/8" dice (I used ribbons)

1 1/2 c. Arborio rice

8 c. Chicken stock

2 lbs. Peas

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

In a 10" skillet, saute olive oil, shallots, celery, and prosciutto. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 8 minutes.

Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes. Add stock to cover rice, turn heat to high. Stir until stock is absorbed. Continue to add stock a bit at a time.

Taste the rice and season.

Add peas and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter and parmesan, stir for 20 seconds, serve in warmed plates.

Molto Italiano, Mario Batali. Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2005.