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Risi e Bisi Recipe (Venetian Rice & Peas)

"Risi e Bisi" simply means Rice and Peas in Venetian dialect. It's a main dish typical of the Venetian cuisine, especially of the cities of Venice and Vicenza, now spread throughout northern Italy.This Italian rice and peas recipe is a real comfort food, a mix between a risotto and a soup. It should be soft and creamy, neither too dry nor too runny.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 786 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 350 g rice - 2 ⅓ cups of "Vialone Nano" rice
  • 1 kg peas - about 2 pounds of fresh peas with pods
  • 1 liter broth - 4 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 60 g butter - about ½ stick, unsalted
  • 1 onion - small
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil - extra virgin
  • 50 g pancetta - 2 oz
  • 50 g parmigiano reggiano - ½ cup, or Grana Padano
  • 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped
  • salt - to taste
  • black pepper - to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make a vegetable or chicken broth, according to your taste. Of course, you can prepare it the day before and keep it in the refrigerator.
  2. Then shell the peas, keeping the pods aside. Once you have shelled all the peas, wash them well under running water.
  3. Boil the pods in lightly salted water for about 45 minutes.
  4. Once cooked, blend them with an immersion blender until they are a thick puree. Then pour the puree into a colander to collect the liquid and remove the fibrous part. Keep the liquid thus collected warm; we'll use it in the following steps.
  5. Chop the onion and cut the pancetta into small pieces.
  6. Step 4) - Place the oil, half the butter, onion and pancetta in a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped parsley as well.
  7. Add the peas and two ladles of broth. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  8. Add the green juice made from the pods, season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and add the rice.
  9. Cook slowly for about 15 minutes. While cooking, stir risi and bisi from time to time and, if they get too dry, add more broth. REMEMBER: the consistency is not that of a risotto but more that of a thick soup.
  10. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add the other half of the butter.
  11. Add the grated Parmigiano cheese and stir. The authentic Venetian recipe for Risi e Bisi is ready! Serve immediately and piping hot.

Notes

  • PLEASE NOTE: The authentic Italian recipe calls for the use of chicken broth, or more precisely hen broth. Obviously, if you choose to be faithful to tradition, the preparation times are extended by about 1 hour. But don't worry, in any case the vegetable broth will do just fine. To learn more about how to prepare both vegetable broth and chicken broth, check out our recipes: Homemade Meat Broth recipe and Vegetable Broth Recipe.

Nutrition Information

Serving 100g Calories 786kcal (39%) Carbohydrates 112g (37%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 25g (38%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 49mg (16%) Sodium 1392mg (58%) Potassium 802mg (23%) Fiber 16g (64%) Sugar 18g (36%) Vitamin A 3088IU (62%) Vitamin C 105mg (117%) Calcium 248mg (25%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 786

% Daily Value*

Serving 100g
Calories 786kcal 39%
Carbohydrates 112g 37%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 1392mg 58%
Potassium 802mg 17%
Fiber 16g 64%
Sugar 18g 36%
Vitamin A 3088IU 62%
Vitamin C 105mg 117%
Calcium 248mg 25%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.