Risi e bisi
Venice's spring rice and peas: young peas and Vialone Nano rice cooked in a broth made from the pods, loose enough to eat with a spoon.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 25 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Risi e bisi is somewhere between a risotto and a soup: rice and fresh young peas cooked in a broth made from their own pods, finished with butter and Parmigiano, and loose enough that Venetians eat it with a spoon. The pods are the secret. Simmer them in salted water for an hour, then blend or press them through a food mill so their sweet green pulp goes back into the broth. Soften onion, a little pancetta and parsley in butter, add the peas and then the rice, and pour on the hot pod broth more generously than for risotto, stirring less. Vialone Nano, grown on the plain south of Verona, is the rice of the Veneto and the one to use. Done is a pale green, creamy, slightly soupy rice, sweet with peas, that spreads gently across the plate.
What you'll need
10 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Peas, fresh in the pod (about 400 g shelled), pods kept1 kg
- Short-grain rice, Vialone Nano300 g
- Water, for the pod broth1½ l
- Onion, finely chopped½ medium
- Pancetta, finely diced (optional)50 g
- Butter50 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated50 g
- Parsley, flat-leaf, chopped30 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
- Salt4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Shell the peas. Wash the pods, cover them with the water, salt lightly and simmer 45–60 minutes. Blend the pods with their liquid, or press them through a food mill, and strain back into the pan. Keep the broth hot.
60 min
Step 2
Soften the onion, pancetta and half the parsley in 30 g butter for 5 minutes. Add the peas and two ladles of broth and cook 5 minutes.
10 min
Step 3
Add the rice, stir for a minute, then add broth a ladle or two at a time, stirring now and then, for 16–18 minutes until the rice is just tender. Keep it looser than a risotto.
18 min
Step 4
Off the heat stir in the rest of the butter, the Parmigiano and parsley, and a last splash of broth so it flows. Rest a minute and serve with pepper.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 24.4 g
- Carbs
- 61.6 g
- Fat
- 21.4 g
- Saturated fat
- 11.1 g
- Fibre
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 16.4 g
- Sodium
- 1667 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Gluten-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.
Substitutions
Pea-pod broth → Light vegetable stock
For frozen peas; add them halfway through the rice.
Tips
- Only young, tender pods make a sweet broth; old, stringy ones turn it bitter.
- Out of season, frozen peas with a light vegetable stock make a good everyday version.
History & culture
It was the dish served to the Doge on 25 April, the feast of St Mark, Venice's patron saint, when the first peas came in from the lagoon islands and the mainland gardens. Venetians still make it in spring, when the peas are young enough for their pods to go in the broth, and argue over whether it should be eaten with a fork or a spoon.
Peas from the market gardens around the lagoon were prized in Renaissance Venice, and the Doge's banquet made risi e bisi a symbol of the Republic's spring. Rice reached the Veneto through Venetian trade and was being grown on the mainland by the sixteenth century, which is why the region's rice dishes are as old as they are.
Traditional — Fresh peas, a broth made from their pods, Vialone Nano rice, onion, pancetta, butter, Parmigiano and parsley.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Risi e bisi take?
1 hr 45 min all in — 20 min prep, 1 hr 25 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Dutch oven, Blender.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Pea-pod broth → Light vegetable stock. For frozen peas; add them halfway through the rice.
Any tips from this recipe?
Only young, tender pods make a sweet broth; old, stringy ones turn it bitter. Out of season, frozen peas with a light vegetable stock make a good everyday version.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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