Ingredients
4 tbsp. butter
1 lemon
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. arborio rice
3 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. grated Parmesan (2 oz.), plus more for serving
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Step 2Using a Y-peeler, remove two 1"-thick strips of zest from the lemon. Add onion and lemon zest to the butter and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in rice, broth, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Step 3Bake until rice is tender, 20 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and stir in Parmesan, peas, pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons butter and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring until butter is melted and peas are warm. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze half of the juice into the risotto; stir to combine. Remove lemon zest and serve topped with more Parmesan and parsley.
If you’ve never made risotto because you didn’t want to stand there stirring forever, then this recipe is for you. It packs all the satisfying flavor of a slow-stirred version into a fraction of the hands-on time. This is all possible because you’ll bake the risotto rather than cooking it on the stove top. And did we mention that it all comes together in one pot? It’s the ultimate hands-off dinner. To get create the ultra fragrant strips of lemon zest that perfume the risotto as it bakes, you’ll use a Y-peeler to take thick strips off the lemon before juicing it. Use this trick for making cocktail garnishes, adding to marinated olives, or to top lemon desserts. If you don’t have a lemon peeler, you can use a regular swivel peeler, though it’s not as easy to get a long strip at once.
