Name: Risi e bisi
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Italian, Venice / Veneto
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh peas in pods, yielding about 450–500 g shelled peas; 1.3 L water; 1 small carrot, roughly chopped; 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped; 3 g fine sea salt; 300 g Vialone Nano rice; 450 g shelled fresh peas; 80 g white onion, finely chopped; 60 g pancetta, finely diced; 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 40 g unsalted butter, divided; 50 g Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 2 g black pepper; 3 g fine sea salt, adjust to broth, pancetta and cheese

Risi e bisi: wide hero view of loose Venetian rice with abundant bright peas, small pieces of pancetta and parsley in a shallow bowl

Prep35 minutes

Cook35 minutes

Total1 h 10 min

Yield4 servings

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The dish

About Risi e bisi

Risi e bisi is strongly associated with Venice and the feast of St Mark on 25 April. Visit Venezia describes it as the Doge’s traditional spring dish, built from rice and fresh peas and finished neither as a dry risotto nor as a watery soup.

Fresh peas contribute twice: the peas themselves and a broth made from the washed pods. Using the pods makes the pea flavour broader and gives practical purpose to an ingredient that would otherwise be discarded.

Veneto tourism records older versions that include lard or pancetta, while noting that many modern cooks omit it. The verified photographs show small pink-brown pieces among the peas and rice, so this selected version includes a modest amount of pancetta while keeping peas dominant.

Vialone Nano is particularly suitable because it releases starch readily yet remains tender in a loose preparation. The rice cooks directly with peas and broth and is stirred often, but the final pan should carry more liquid than a classic all’onda risotto.

Butter and Grana are folded in off heat. The finished dish should settle into a shallow bowl with visible free movement around the rice, abundant bright peas and no stiff mound at the centre.

Technique

Three things that matter

Use pea pods for the broth when possible. They reinforce fresh pea aroma without needing a heavy stock.
Stop before the rice dries. Risi e bisi should be fluid—looser than risotto but not a clear soup.
Keep peas abundant. The identity is rice and peas together, not rice garnished with a small handful of green dots.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Pea broth

1 kgfresh peas in podsyielding about 450–500 g shelled peas
1.3 Lwater
1small carrotroughly chopped
1celery stalkroughly chopped
3 gfine sea salt

Rice and peas

300 gVialone Nano rice
450 gshelled fresh peas
80 gwhite onionfinely chopped
60 gpancettafinely diced
20 mlextra-virgin olive oil
40 gunsalted butterdivided
50 gGrana Padano or Parmigiano Reggianofinely grated
10 gflat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
2 gblack pepper
3 gfine sea saltadjust to broth, pancetta and cheese

Step by step

Method

Make fresh pea broth

Shell and wash the peas. Shell the peas and reserve them. Wash the pods thoroughly and discard any damaged pieces.
The pods should smell fresh and clean with no slimy areas.
Simmer the pods. Cover washed pods with water, carrot, celery and salt and simmer 25 minutes. Strain and keep the broth hot.
The strained broth should taste clearly of fresh peas but remain light.

Cook peas and rice

Soften onion and pancetta. Warm olive oil with half the butter. Cook pancetta for 3 minutes, add onion and continue 6–7 minutes until soft without dark browning.
The pancetta should render lightly and the onion should turn translucent.
Add peas, then rice. Stir in the peas and cook 5 minutes. Add rice and about 900 ml hot pea broth. Simmer, stirring frequently and adding more broth as needed, for 15–17 minutes.
The rice should be al dente while the pan remains noticeably looser than normal risotto.

Finish loose and glossy

Mantecare off heat. Remove from heat, fold in remaining butter, grated Grana, parsley and black pepper. Add hot broth if needed.
The rice should flow slowly when the pot is tilted rather than hold a stiff ridge.
Serve immediately. Taste for salt and ladle into warm shallow bowls.
Peas should remain abundant and green, with small pancetta pieces visible through the loose rice.

Practical guidance

Consistency

The Venetian target is neither thick nor very liquid. It should be clearly looser than risotto while still carrying enough starch to bind the broth.

Pancetta

Older Veneto formulations can include lard or pancetta; many modern versions omit it. This version includes a modest amount because it appears in the verified photographs.

Frozen peas

Fresh peas and pod broth best express the spring dish. Outside the season, frozen peas are practical, but a light vegetable broth replaces the unavailable pod broth.

Serving

Risi e bisi tightens quickly, so it should go directly from the pot to warm bowls.

Troubleshooting

The dish looks like dry risotto. Too much broth was absorbed before service; add hot broth during the final mantecatura.
The peas are dull and wrinkled. They cooked too long before the rice was added or the pot was held hot after finishing.
The broth tastes bitter. Damaged or overcooked pea pods were used; simmer only clean fresh pods for a light broth.
The dish is too salty. Pancetta and cheese contributed more sodium than expected; season broth lightly and adjust only at the end.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 generous rice course
Calories: approximately 610 kcal
Carbohydrates: 77 g
Protein: 21 g
Fat: 24 g
Fibre: 10 g
Sodium: approximately 760 mg

Pancetta and cheese sodium vary by producer; fresh pea yield also changes the final serving weight.

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Pancetta ingredients should be checked for additional allergens if commercially seasoned.

Wash pea pods carefully before using them for broth and keep cooked rice out of the temperature danger zone; rice should not sit warm for extended periods.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly; discard rice that has been left at room temperature for prolonged periods.

FAQ

Is risi e bisi a risotto or a soup?

It sits between them: creamy with starch, but distinctly more fluid than a standard risotto.

Why use the pea pods?

They make a fresh pea broth that strengthens flavour without a heavy meat stock.

Does risi e bisi contain pancetta?

Some traditional Veneto versions use lard or pancetta and many modern ones do not. This selected version uses a small amount to match the verified photographs.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Loose, glossy Vialone Nano with abundant tender peas, small pancetta pieces and enough pea broth to flow gently in the bowl.
Key: Build a light pod broth, keep the peas generous and stop cooking while the rice is still noticeably more fluid than risotto.