A waste-free recipe for Venetian rice and peas

Over the past 100 years, we have lost 93% of our food variety: for example, it’s thought that there were once 200,000 varieties of rice in India, but many have disappeared from farmers’ fields (Rices of India, Richharia and Govindasamy, 1990). A lack of diversity makes for a vulnerable food system that’s prone to disease, waste and corporate control.

Diversifying your grains and eating alternative varieties of rice when you can is one way to protect that biodiversity. Try swapping out rice for other grains such as millet and buckwheat, or cook with wonderful and unique varieties, such as carnaroli or vialone nano, a starchy rice grown in Veneto and typically used to make the classic risi e bisi, a dish that’s also a great way to revive leftover rice that has been cooled and stored safely in the fridge.

Risi e bisi

This dish is a celebration of both rice and peas. Traditionally, it is made with carnaroli or vialone nano, a flat rice that grows in Veneto, where the dish originated. But it also works well with other rice varieties, or as a way to upcycle cooked rice into a fabulous and comforting meal. Risi e bisi is best made at the beginning of the pea season, when fresh peas are available at their smallest and sweetest. The shelled pods make a remarkably floral and sweet stock that makes this dish truly sing.

Serves 2

300g fresh peas in their pods
Veg scraps saved for stock
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped – put the skin in the stock
2 sprigs parsley, chopped
Parmesan rind (optional)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
190g vialone nano, risotto or other rice (or 400g cooked rice)
30g parmesan, plus extra for serving
20g butter

Pod the peas, and put the empty pods in a stock pot with any other veg scraps, including the onion skin, a few herb stalks and the parmesan rind, if using. Cover with one litre of boiling water, simmer for 25 minutes, then strain.

In a wide pan, gently saute half a chopped onion and the crushed garlic in the olive oil for five minutes. Stir in the vialone nano, add a ladle of hot stock and simmer, stirring regularly, adding more stock as necessary, for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked but firm and the consistency of loose risotto. (Or stir in 400g cooked rice, then add enough stock to create a loose consistency and bring to a boil, stirring vigorously to create a starchy texture.)

Add the chopped parsley, podded peas, butter and grated parmesan, simmer for three minutes, then taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with extra parmesan.