Truffle Risotto Pea Shoots (Printer-friendly)

Creamy risotto enhanced by earthy truffle oil and topped with fresh, crisp pea shoots.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Rice

01 - 1.5 cups Arborio rice

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups vegetable stock, kept warm

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

07 - 0.5 cup dry white wine
08 - 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 0.25 cup heavy cream

→ Truffle & Finishing

10 - 2 tablespoons truffle oil
11 - 1 ounce fresh black truffle, thinly shaved
12 - 1 cup fresh pea shoots, trimmed
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
02 - Stir Arborio rice into the saucepan and cook while stirring constantly for about 2 minutes until grains are well coated and slightly translucent at the edges.
03 - Pour dry white wine into the rice mixture and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed.
04 - Add warm vegetable stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and allowing each addition to be completely absorbed before adding the next. Continue this process for approximately 18-20 minutes until rice becomes creamy and al dente.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and drizzle with truffle oil. Gently fold in half of the pea shoots.
06 - Spoon risotto into warm bowls. Top with remaining pea shoots and shaved truffle. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The entire dish comes together in under an hour, but tastes like you spent all afternoon fussing over it.
  • Those pea shoots aren't just pretty—they snap and brighten every spoonful with a grassy freshness that keeps the richness from feeling heavy.
  • If you've ever felt intimidated by risotto, this recipe proves how forgiving it actually is when you pay attention and stir with intention.
02 -
  • Never, ever walk away from risotto once you've started adding stock—it needs constant gentle stirring to release the starch and create that creamy texture, and a watched pot really does cook better in this case.
  • If your risotto seems too thick at the end, stir in more warm stock a splash at a time, not all at once; thick risotto can be fixed, but soupy risotto is harder to salvage.
  • The truffle oil gets drizzled after removing from heat because high heat burns away its delicate, earthy notes—save its flavor for the moment it matters most.
03 -
  • Warm all your ingredients before they meet the rice—cold things slow momentum, and risotto rewards consistent, gentle heat from start to finish.
  • The Parmesan and cream go in off-heat because they can break or become grainy if they get too hot; you're folding them in to create a glossy finish, not cooking them further.
  • Make extra pea shoots than you think you'll need, because they're delicious and you'll find yourself adding more than planned once you taste how they brighten every spoonful.
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