Directions

• Bring two pots of water to a boil. Use one to steam your peas, and the other to cook your rice. Canned peas can work as well, but the texture will be much softer than if fresh or frozen peas are used. Do not steam canned peas (strain and heat in a pot or pan slowly until heated).
• In a pan, add a healthy glug of olive oil (seriously!), and a tablespoon of butter. Add chopped red and green onions, garlic, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Use a variety of colored peppers if you prefer their look! Add a pinch of oregano, season with salt & pepper, and begin to cook over medium-low heat. If it looks a bit dry in the pan, add more oil.
• Slice a Capital Ham Sausage into small, quartered pieces. Mariano cooked these in a separate pan with olive oil and garlic, but you can optionally add the sausage to the existing pan of vegetables if you’d like to save a dish! Cooking the sausage on its own will allow you to use a higher heat and better caramelize the meat without burning the vegetables. You can add a splash of wine to the meat and veggies, as well as add a hot chili pepper here if you’d like.
• Strain the rice when it’s cooked to your liking. Rinse in the sink under cold water to stop the cooking as well as rinse off excess starch. Set aside.
• When the veggies, meat, and peas are cooked through, combine them with your cooked rice in a big serving bowl. Mix well and top with your favorite grated cheese. (Mariano uses Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enjoy!