Risotto al Pesto with Peas
A creamy, bright green risotto with sweet peas, finished with basil pesto and parmesan off the heat.
Made with Basil pesto and Homemade vegetable stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time40 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.71 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat your homemade vegetable stock (see the base recipe) in a pan and keep it just below a simmer.
- 2
Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a wide pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and sweet but not brown.
7 min - 3
Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains look glossy and slightly translucent at the edges.
2 min - 4
Pour in the wine and let it bubble away. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often, waiting until each is absorbed before adding the next.
- 5
After about 16 minutes add the peas. Keep going until the rice is creamy and tender with a little bite, about 18 to 20 minutes in total.
18 min 20 s - 6
Take off the heat. Stir in the remaining butter, the cheese and your ready made basil pesto (see the base recipe). Cover and rest for 2 minutes, then serve.
Tips
- Stir the pesto in at the very end. Heat dulls the basil and turns it brown.
- Keep the stock hot. Cold stock slows the rice and gives uneven grains.
- The rice should flow slowly across the plate when ready, not stand in a mound.
Storing and freezing
Cool quickly, within 1 hour, and keep in the fridge for 1 day. Reheat only once and make sure it is piping hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I make it without wine?
Yes. Use an extra 100 ml of stock and add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for a little acidity.
Is this risotto gluten free?
Yes, if your stock is gluten free. Rice, peas, butter and the pesto contain no gluten. Check packaged stock labels, since many contain wheat.
More made with basil pesto
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
