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Pea and Pesto Risotto + Weekly Menu

Pea and Pesto Risotto 1

You guys are the sweetest – thank you for sharing in the joy of our big news on expecting baby #2. It finally feels more real now that I’m not making up weird excuses about why there’s been more pasta and carbs on the blog. And as one reader pointed out, why there’s not Instagram pictures of adult beverages going on. She knows me well! 😉

Truthfully, I can’t blame all of the carbohydrate-laden dishes solely on pregnancy because really, it’s Shea who loves carb-loaded meals as much as me right now. I’m sure her daycare continues to be intrigued by what is sent with my kid each day to eat, but they never say much about it – just that she generally always eats well.

Pea and Pesto Risotto 2

I vowed in my former DINK (double income, no kids) lifestyle that I would never overhaul what I feed my family for my child(ren) – they would adapt to what I cook and what is served. I’ve come to find out that while that’s quite the oblivious, rookie approach, it has honestly worked quite well for us.

There are times when kids mac and cheese is ordered off the menu. P.S. Panera’s is freakishly good. I always have to steal a bite. There’s times when she’ll spend 10 minutes running a green bean through a puddle of gravy and lick off the gravy, over and over again. She’s learning to say “no” to certain foods and that’s getting a little worrisome. But overall, I feel very fortunate for Shea’s diverse palate, as well as the fact that we are yet to have any concerns over food allergies or intolerances.

Pea and Pesto Risotto 3

This particular meal, however, I doubled (the recipe below is that doubled amount because I think you’ll love the recipe, too!). I made a lot knowing that there’s not a thing not to love about risotto, pesto, and peas. It’s a slam-dunk kind of meal that the whole family will love.

In the summertime, I’d often consider making my own pesto, perhaps with a blend of basil and leafy greens (arugula pesto = amazing), but prepared pesto is certainly delicious and makes this meal fairly snappy. With little prep, this meal is prepared by stirring the pesto to a creamy perfection while the peas as little bursts of sweetness and the pesto creates a rich, bold, herby finish with plenty of garlic to keep me happy.

Pea and Pesto Risotto 4

Pea and Pesto Risotto
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups dry Arborio rice
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • ⅔ cup prepared pesto
Instructions
  1. In a large sauce pan, heat broth over medium-high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low to keep hot.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven. Once hot, add the rosemary and sauce for 30-60 seconds. Add the garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds. Add the rice, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the broth ½ cup at a time and stir often. As the broth becomes fully absorbed, add additional broth, ½ cup at a time.
  4. Before adding the last ½ cup of broth, add the peas. Cook until broth is nearly absorbed; stir in the pesto.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Hot From My Oven (recipe no longer available)
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ~ 1½ cups Calories: 377 Fat: 13.0 Carbohydrates: 65.0 Sugar: 3.2 Sodium: 964 Fiber: 2.8 Protein: 13.5 Cholesterol: 0
Weekly Menu: March 6th – 10th

Be well,

sig4

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2 Comments

  1. naleśniki
    March 6, 2016 / 4:51 pm

    Great idea – – enjoy! 🙂

  2. Biz
    March 8, 2016 / 9:58 am

    I think that kids eating habits are like a roller coaster as they grow up. Around age 3 Hannah suddenly didn’t like much meat, so I didn’t force the issue. Around age 7 she ate a Big Mac and declared that she loved burgers! Oh wait, no, that was just the thousand island dressing dousing the actual burger 😛

    She’s now 24 and shocked the shit out of me when she ate pork from a BBQ place here in Texas – so you just never know!

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