Prosciutto and Pea Risotto

Prosciutto and pea risotto is a simple and flavorful dish of Italian cuisine. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 320 g risotto rice (such as Arborio or Carnaroli)
• 150 g cooked ham cut into cubes
• 150 g fresh or frozen peas
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 liter vegetable or chicken broth, kept warm
• 40 g butter
• 50 ml dry white wine
• 60 g grated Parmesan
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a knob of butter until it becomes translucent.
2. Add the rice and toast it until it becomes translucent, stirring often.
3. Deglaze the rice with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely.
4. Start adding the hot broth, one ladle at a time, waiting for the rice to almost completely absorb the liquid before adding the next.
5. After a few minutes, add the peas. If using fresh peas, they may require a slightly longer cooking time than frozen ones.
6. Halfway through the rice cooking, also add the diced cooked ham.
7. Continue cooking, adding broth as needed and stirring often until the rice is al dente, about 18 minutes from the start of cooking.
8. When the rice is ready, remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter and grated Parmesan. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
9. Let the risotto rest covered for a couple of minutes before serving.

Trivia

Risotto is a versatile preparation of Italian cuisine, suitable for many pairings. In this case, the addition of cooked ham and peas creates a combination of sweetness and savoriness that is much loved in Italy, especially in home cooking where the combination of these ingredients is often used also to season pasta.

Buon appetito!