That’s how our dinner and spring go together, and tonight quite literally! With Easter celebrations just behind us, do you now have 4+ pounds of leftover ham in your possession? How about a savory starch that will go perfectly alongside? If you’re not stuck with a mountain of baked ham, not to worry, this recipe can still be savored on its awesome own. We’re making a creamy risotto using white wine and parmesan cheese. Oh, but we’re not stopping there! We’re going to dial-up this dish with fresh peas, transforming them into a simple pesto, and pairing our lovely legumes with sweet, petite roasted carrots. Peas & carrots? You might be thinking it’s a match made in vegetable . . . umm, hell. I can just picture it, the dreaded lunch side of peas & carrot chunks, floating in a mysterious watery pool—every school kid’s nightmare! Mine included, but our dinner doesn’t have to be a canned veggie disaster—tonight our vegetables will be delicious atop a beautiful bed of risotto.

- 1.5 cups Arborio rice
- 6 cups Chicken stock (low-sodium)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp lemon zest
- ¾ cup sweet white onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup butter (unsalted)
- ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese blend
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper (finely ground), to taste
- 1 cup fresh English peas, shelled from pods
- 1.5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ⅛ tsp lemon zest
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), for drizzing in pesto, ~3T
- 1T water
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper (finely ground), to taste
- 6 oz bag of petite carrots (trimmed & peeled)
- 2T butter, unsalted
- ¼ tsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- Sea salt to taste
- Pinch of white sugar
- Shell & steam one cup fresh English peas (steam until just tender, immediately cooling the peas in a bowl of ice water, drain and set aside).
- In a food processor or blender, place ⅔ cup of the steamed peas, water, garlic clove, lemon zest, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, spinach and purée, slowly drizzling in EVOO until a smooth pesto forms (taste test for salt level), set aside.
- For carrots, in s small skillet with fitting lid, melt the 2T butter and add the white wine vinegar, few Tablespoons of the white wine, pinch salt, pepper & sugar.
- Arrange peeled carrots in a single layer in sauce, cover and cook on low for ~8 mins.
- Remove lid and move carrots around in sauce, continuing to cook until tender on medium-low, adding the rest of the white wine as needed to deglaze pan & keep from being completely dry.
- When carrots tested with a fork are tender, they are done, remove from het & wrap in foil to keep warm.
- In a medium sauce pan, warm the 6 cups of chicken stock on low, you will use for risotto.
- In a large rimmed skillet, pot or enameled dutch oven, melt ¼ cup of butter, and sauté onion and garlic, adding a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally for several minutes.
- To pan, stir in the dry rice, stirring frequently, toast rice for about 1-2 minutes on medium.
- Add the ⅔ cup white wine, 1 tsp lemon juice and zest, continue to cook rice until most of this liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.
- Add in 1 cup of the warm stock and let incorporate, stirring frequently, until liquid continues to absorb.
- Repeat with 1 cup of broth about every 10 minutes, continuing to stir (after each cup of broth is absorbed, check tenderness level, you may not need all 6 cups of liquid).
- Once the rice has absorbed enough liquid & is tender to taste, reduce skillet to low and stir-in the shredded parmesan cheese, adding salt & pepper to desired taste.
- Warm pea pesto in small sauce pan on stove, and warm carrots (as necessary).
- Serve warm risotto over a spooned layer of the pea pesto, drizzling a little more on top, then adding a spoonful of the leftover steamed peas (1/3 cup we didn’t use for pesto) and finally a few of the roasted carrots.
Sorry childhood canned-vegetable-medley, you’ve been replaced!
I envisioned making a bright dish capturing this classic veggie combo, and felt risotto would be the perfect platform. I had originally planned to add whole peas from the pod, but then on a whim I combined them with a surplus of spinach in my fridge, and from that a savory pesto was born. This made for the a vibrant sauce to plate the creamy rice on, giving the meal that little extra something. Considering the weekend’s chocolate egg/jelly bean binge, it’s time to get some greens back in the routine. The carrots were tender, adding a healthy contrast. I think a little crisped pancetta would work well here too. This can also become vegetarian if we skip the chicken stock (instead using water and more salt in the risotto); though, the stock added the perfect flavor for my taste!
Just like Forrest Gump felt about his Jenny, spring is the perfect time to put these two sweet ingredients, together.