Two Peas in a Pod Risotto

Some of you may be curious about the title of this post. It is so called because Tuesday marked two years since J asked me to be his wife. Remembering back to that time and reflecting on all that has come between then and now (our cat Woods, our first apartment together, our wedding, marriage), I decided I wanted to make something special to commemorate the occasion. On my way home from work I went over the ingredients I had in my pantry:

• White wine from a few weeks ago when we hosted the officiant at our wedding
• Prosciutto from pizzas we made on Sunday night
• Onion from said pizza
• Peas from our Sunday Afternoon pasta
• Gruyere cheese, again from our pizza

Then the light bulb went off. Risotto, my old friend! My dad gave us a five pound bag of Arborio rice a few months ago and since then, we have made many risotto dishes. Risotto can be intimidating because of the time and care involved in making it, but once you learn the system it is quite easy.

My favorite way to make it involves opening a bottle of white wine and pouring glasses for J and myself before cooking with some of it. While I stir the rice, J and I talk about our days and catch up with each other before sitting down with big bowls of steaming rice and more wine. It was a great way to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement!

Two Peas in a Pod Risotto, adapted from Best of Cooking Light's Champagne-Feta Risotto

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 (15.75 ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short grain rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 ounces prosciutto, sliced
2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/3 cup peas--I used frozen
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese


Kitchen Supplies:
Medium stock pot or pasta pot
Wooden spoon--because you will be doing a lot of stirring at some high temperatures
Cheese grater
Wine opener
Small strainer, if using frozen peas

Combine first three ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer (do not allow it to boil). Keep warm over low heat. Note: I have made this with the cans as suggested above and with chicken bouillon cubes and hot water. Both work fine. If you are looking to limit your salt intake, I recommend the canned broth.

Heat oil over medium to high heat and add prosciutto. Stir for two to three minutes until the prosciutto is crispy and golden brown. Remove prosciutto and set aside. Add onions and saute for three minutes. Add rice, sauteing for two minutes until the ends of the rice start to become translucent. Stir in white wine to deglaze the pan. Stir constantly until liquid is absorbed, approximately one minute. Stir in 1 cup of broth mixture and cook for five minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. This will take approximately 25 minutes in total.

Rinse and drain peas with a strainer to take the chill off of them and to ensure you do not add extra liquid to the dish. Add prosciutto, peas, and Gruyere cheese, stirring to combine. Spoon into bowls and top each with half of the Parmesan cheese.

Pour yourself another glass of wine and enjoy!