Seafood & Pea Risotto

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 60 minutes
• total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups Arborio rice

1 bag English peas

1/2 bag Sugar snap peas (sliced, mainly crosswise and a few lengthwise)

1 standard package Mint (chopped)

1 small package Chives (chopped)

8-10 garlic cloves (minced)

2 lemons (or equivalent juice)

~3lbs Seafood (I used tiger shrimp, scallops, and squid)

12oz Ricotta cheese

Cooking olive oil

Quality olive oil (for garnish)

1/4 cup Butter

Salt

Freshly-cracked black pepper

Red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Rinse all vegetables and cut sugar snap peas, mint, chives, garlic, and seafood.

2. Begin preparing the risotto by rinsing the rice. Dry rice with a paper towel and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided pan to med-high heat and add rice. Add rice and toast until fragrant and beginning to brown (~5min), then add 2c water to pan. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Continue stirring the rice periodically and add water (2c at a time) as the rice absorbs the water. The whole process should take ~20-30min.

4. Meanwhile, add olive oil to another pan over med heat. Cook seafood with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, draining liquids as necessary. Set cooked seafood aside in a separate bowl as it is finished. Add half a lemon’s juice to bowl after draining liquids.

5. Once the risotto has finished cooking, add freshly-cracked black pepper and 1/3 of the chopped mint while still in the pan. Stir well and set the pan aside.

6. Add butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and one lemon’s juice to the seafood pan. Simmer on low heat until fragrant, ~1-2min. Set aside in a separate bowl.

7. Add sugar snap peas and English peas to the same pan with half a lemon’s juice and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until peas are just becoming soft, about 5min. Set peas aside in a separate bowl.

8. Plating:

• Spoon risotto onto plate and spread evenly over entire surface

• Add ricotta in a single spoonful at top of plate

• Distribute peas around the outside of plate

• Place seafood in middle of plate

• Drizzle everything with olive oil, and garnish with mint, chives, and freshly-cracked black pepper.