Matt Moran’s Creamy Pea and Leek Risotto (Vegetarian Recipe)

Keep date night simple with this delicious pea and leek risotto. From Australian food legend Matt Moran, this creamy vegetarian recipe is as easy as it is satisfying

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This creamy risotto recipe is perfect for those nights when you want to eat well without exerting too much effort in the kitchen. 

Whether it's an easy date night or quick dinner for yourself, this quick and easy recipe is your solution. Created by Australian chef and food legend Matt Moran, this recipe is equal parts simple and impressive — proving that delicious food doesn't need to be complicated. 

With green peas and leeks, you'll also feel good about getting some veggies in, even while enjoying a warm, creamy meal. 

Flavour Profile

🥛 Creamy
🌱 Fresh 
🍋 Bright 

Why We Love It

• Quick: Taking just 10 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook, we love how quickly this dish comes together. Using Matt's perfect vegetable stock is the hero here, as it imparts a lot of delicious flavour with no extra effort required.
• Easy: Most of this recipe comes together stirring over the pan. There are no complex techniques involved, just a bit of chopping and maybe some patience while you wait for the risotto to reach the right texture.
• Comforting: This risotto is classic comfort food made healthier with the addition of veggies. Creamy, rich, cheesy and packed full of flavour, a steaming bowl of this risotto makes for a great warming dinner year-round.

Meet the Recipe Developer

With a career spanning 40 years in the Australian food industry, Matt Moran has a plethora of awards to his name as well as television shows, best-selling cookbooks and ownership of some of Australia’s most celebrated dining establishments.

Matt’s culinary career began 40 years ago as an apprentice at La Belle Helene, one of Sydney’s best restaurants at the time. He quickly rose to the role of Head Chef before taking the helm at Manfredi. He then took an entrepreneurial path and today, he concentrates on overseeing the food and menus at his restaurants.

A fourth generation farmer with a rural upbringing on a classic Aussie dairy farm, Matt still runs a property in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, which supplies beef and lamb to his restaurants. As the pioneer of ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy in Australia, he has a strong belief in the importance of everyone understanding the origins of the food being served on their plate.

Test Kitchen Notes

• Gently toasting the arborio rice before adding stock enhances its nutty flavor and helps it hold its shape, giving you that signature creamy-yet-textured risotto finish.
• Finishing with cold butter and Pecorino off the heat gives the risotto a rich, velvety finish — don’t skip this step, it’s the secret to restaurant-style risotto.
• Since Pecorino and stock can vary in saltiness, taste as you stir — it’s the best way to keep your risotto perfectly seasoned from start to finish.

A Note From Matt

This pea risotto is slow-stirred with My Perfect Vegetable Stock, creating a creamy, delicate balance of flavour. Vibrant peas, pecorino, and a hint of lemon bring brightness to every bite. Light yet satisfying, this dish is simple, elegant, and expertly crafted. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Vegetable stock: When it comes to risotto, high-quality stock is key. Matt Moran designed this recipe specifically for his new stock line, 'My Perfect Stock', so we highly recommend picking up the vegetable stock from the range for this dish.
• Peas: Frozen peas are an easy (and budget friendly) way to impart extra veg into this dish.
• Olive oil: As always, we recommend using a high-quality olive oil in this dish. If you don't have olive oil, any other neutral-tasting oil will work.
• Butter: Butter adds a lovely creaminess to this risotto. If you're avoiding dairy, you can swap it for extra olive oil instead. But if you do eat dairy, definitely stick with the butter.
• Leek: Leek adds a lovely subtle earthiness to any dish and we especially love it in pasta. Take care to properly wash your leek before using, as they can be quite sandy!
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but you can substitute jarred or garlic powder where needed. If you're low FODMAP, swap the olive oil above for garlic-infused olive oil to impart the same garlic-y flavour.
• Arborio rice: For the best risotto, use arborio rice (sometimes labelled 'risotto rice'). We don't recommend substituting other rices.
• Pecorino: Pecorino adds a sharp, salty, nutty flavour to this dish. If you can't find it (or don't like it), you could also use Parmesan. For a slightly milder taste, Grana Padano would also work.
• Pea tendrils: You can often find these near the salad or herb section of the grocery store. They may also be labelled 'pea shoots'. If you can't find them, you can skip them altogether, but they add amazing texture to the dish.
• Lemon: Juiced lemon brightens this dish.

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