Easy Fresh Spring Pea Risotto With Prosciutto

The birds are cheerily chirping, brightly colored flowers and blossoming trees dot the city streets and fresh peas are at the market.  Yup, it must be spring.  It was these sweet little pods, and that fact that it had been a little while since I made risotto, that sparked this creation.  This dish yields a creamy texture that is sweetened up by fresh seasonal vegetables and topped by salty prosciutto to create this balance of flavors that will satisfy any weeknight craving.  This makes a fine main dish or you can serve it alongside some lemon chicken.  I even packaged some up to take for lunch tomorrow.

Although I have made risotto before on my blog, I think that it is one of those dishes that can be made so frequently but still not lose its element of surprise because there is so much versatility to it and it really can change with the seasonal produce or really, just whatever you have on hand.  The big secret that I've learned to a good, creamy risotto is to add a little goat cheese.  Just about a tablespoon or so to give it a subtle little tang and a nice consistency.  Now, if goat cheese isn't your thing, (the more I write about goat cheese, the more I find that some people have a strong aversion to it) I recommend trying out another soft cheese.  I would recommend Boursin, Mascarpone or maybe even a cream cheese would be interesting.  Certainly, you could omit the cheese all together but I think you really miss that element of creaminess.  I'm sure you can obtain that through butter and cream but then you compromise that tangy little twist that only be gained from one of the aforementioned cheeses.  

While you can refer back to my original basic risotto recipe, I'll include a list below of what add-ins I used to create this particular risotto.  I didn't pre-cook anything (except for the red peppers that I roasted myself) instead, I let the heat from the risotto cook the vegetables.  I just added things in order of how fast they cook, so as to not overcook or under cook anything, but feel free to get creative, have fun and come up with your own creation.  Happy risotto making!

1. One shallot, finely sliced
2. Button Mushrooms
3. Roasted Red Peppers
4. Fresh peas, stripped of their pods
5. A couple handfuls of frozen corn
6. Fresh basil
7. Parmesan cheese and goat cheese
8. Thinly sliced prosciutto
9. A little more fresh basil for garnish