Spring Greens Barley Risotto with Basil Pesto

I sometimes like to switch it up and use pearl barley in my risotto recipes. Not only does it require less stirring than arborio rice, but it is also packed with fibre and great for your digestive and gut health. It also adds a lovely nuttiness to the finished risotto which I really like. This spring greens barley risotto recipe is perfect for this time of year. It’s full of lovely spring vegetables which are either in season or just coming into season. The toasted sunflower seeds add texture and crunch and a delicious classic basil pesto completes the dish. This is a delicious vegetarian main course, but would be equally tasty topped with your choice of protein (a panfried chicken breast or piece of white fish would be the ideal accompaniment).

Serves 4

For the risotto:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

250g pearl barley

150ml white wine

2 vegetable stock cubes with 1.5 litres of water

30g mascarpone

40g parmesan cheese, grated

200g frozen peas

250g asparagus spears, finely sliced leaving the tips in 3cm pieces

200g broad beans

1 courgette, chopped into 1cm cubes

Juice of 1 lemon

Handful of parsley, roughly chopped

50g sunflower seeds, toasted

Pea shoots, for garnish

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Salt & pepper

For the pesto:

30g pine nuts or sunflower seeds, lightly toasted

30g parmesan cheese, finely grated

30g basil, roughly torn

15g parsley, roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped

1 lemon, juice and zest

70ml extra virgin oil

Salt & pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan or shallow saucepan. Add the onion and fry gently over a medium heat for 10 minutes until golden and soft, stirring occasionally. Add

the garlic and stir for a few minutes before adding the pearl barley.

2. Stir the barley for a few minutes to allow it to toast slightly before adding the white wine. Turn up the heat so the wine reduces to almost nothing before turning the heat back down

and beginning to add the hot stock slowly, a ladleful at a time. Simmer the risotto for 45-50 minutes until the pearl barley is cooked through.

3. While the risotto is cooking, drop the broad beans into a pan of salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and pod the broad beans. Set aside. Drop the

sliced asparagus spears into another pan of salted boiling water (reserving the tips to be lightly fried later) and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse in plenty of cold water and set aside

with the deshelled broad beans to add to the risotto later.

4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in frying pan over a medium heat and add the courgettes. Season and fry for a few minutes until lightly golden. Set aside, return the pan to the heat and fry the

asparagus tips until slightly charred. Set aside to place on top of the risotto later.

5. Make the pesto by placing all of the ingredients into a small blender and blitzing until it reaches a drizzling consistency. Taste and season.

6. Once the barley is cooked, stir through the mascarpone, parmesan, deshelled broad beans, asparagus, courgettes and frozen peas. Simmer for a couple of minutes then add the lemon

juice, parsley and plenty of pepper. Taste and season before spooning into large bowls and drizzling over the pesto.

7. Top the risotto with the asparagus tips, a sprinkling of the toasted sunflower seeds, a small handful of pea shoots and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.