Easy Peas-y

My sister-in-law doesn't like rice. What? You may be asking yourself, how can a person dislike something so innocuous. That's almost like saying you don't like water-- which come to think of it, my sister isn't all too crazy about. I guess you could say that I come from a family of awkward eaters. But back to rice, well, I love it. And I also adore soup. So what about a meal of soupy-rice? Bring it on!

Warm and nourishing, a stick to your ribs sort of meal that is both homey and satisfying. And it couldn't be more simple. Like a risotto, only stripped down. Minus the continual, deltoid-building stirring, Risi e Bisi makes a lovely, hot meal, with just a crust of bread, and perhaps a salad to round the whole dish out.

Made with arborio or carnaroli rice, the short-grained rice with a high starch content, this soup gets creamy and thick as you simmer it. Starting out the soupy concoction is pancetta, Italian style bacon, cut into lardons, then only a handful of other ingredients, including frozen peas get thrown in the mix. Then you let the entire mixture be, the rice grows al dente, absorbing the stock, and a cloudy, flavorful, and gorgeous soup is born.

I call Risi e Bisi delightfully bland. There was not one flavor that stood out among the ingredients, each flavor played off one another so nicely. There was no vying for top place among your palate. It was the type of meal that was addictive. Not in a crunchy popcorn sort of way, but in a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes way. So, if you would like to experience the addiction for yourself, the recipe is on the Daily Specials page.