Risoni w/ Peas, Browned Butter & Garlic Breadcrumbs

In the world of pasta, Risoni doesn’t get enough air-time. And if you haven’t cooked with it before, don’t worry - for the longest time, neither had I. Risoni looks like rice but it’s actually pasta, and if you love pasta I guarantee you will love Risoni. This recipe is super fast, incredibly easy and with crispy, golden garlicky breadcrumbs I know you’ll love it! Also, if you can, look for the sharpest, strongest pecorino cheese out there - that’s the one ingredient in this dish where it’s worth spending a little extra to get the best quality you can find. If you can’t track down pecorino, a nice sharp parmesan would be perfect too.

Note that the recipe calls for 2 Tbsp caper brine. This is just the salty water you get inside a jar of capers. Usually it gets tipped down the sink but it is a veritable goldmine of flavour and a fantastic way to get a delicious, tangy saltiness into whatever you’re cooking. And if you’re wondering what to do with the capers now that you’ve used up the brine they’re in, why not give this recipe a go.

Risoni w/ Peas, Browned Butter & Garlic Breadcrumbs

Serves 2 as a large main (or 4 as a side)

Ingredients

1 cup Risoni

2 cups peas

3 Tbsp butter

1 large red chilli, diced

1 Tbsp rosemary, finely diced

Peel of 1 lemon

4 cloves of garlic, finely diced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp caper brine

80g shaved pecorino cheese (to serve)

Cracked black pepper, to taste

For the garlic breadcrumbs

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic diced

1/4 tsp salt

Method

Cook the Risoni the same way you would cook pasta - in a big pot of boiling water with 1 tsp of salt. Taste to check when it is al dente (it should be ready in ~8-10 minutes), then drain and pop aside.

While the Risoni cooks, prepare your garlic breadcrumbs. Put the breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic and salt in a deep frying pan and fry on high heat until golden brown and crisp. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

Put the peas in a heatproof jug and pour over boiling water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes (or until the peas are bright green), then drain.

In the same deep frying pan you used for the breadcrumbs, melt and brown the butter. Once the butter has taken on a golden caramel colour, add the chilli, rosemary and lemon peel and cook a further minute or two, until the lemon is fragrant.

Add the garlic, lemon juice and caper brine to the browned butter, then add the Risoni. Mix well to break up any bits of Risoni that may have stuck together. Continue frying for another minute, then add the blanched peas and remove from the heat (if you keep cooking after adding the peas they will lose that lovely bright green colour).

Serve in two big bowls or on one large share platter, topped with the breadcrumbs, shaved pecorino and some freshly ground black pepper.

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