1. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer on the stove, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned with salt. It will remain at a simmer the entire time you are making the risotto, and you will add it a ladleful or two at a time to the rice.

2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or wide, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion or shallots and cook gently until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and stir until the grains become separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it has just about evaporated and been absorbed by the rice. Stir in enough of the simmering stock to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, adding more stock when the rice is almost dry and stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the peas and continue adding stock and stirring for another 10 to 15 minutes. The peas should be tender and the rice tender all the way through but still chewy. Taste now and correct seasoning.

3. Add another ladleful or two of stock to the rice. Stir in the butter, the Parmesan, and the parsley, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy. Add freshly ground pepper, taste one last time and adjust salt. Stir once and serve right away. Serve it in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

Advance preparation:
You can begin up to several hours before serving: proceed with the recipe and cook halfway through, that is, for about 10 minutes. The rice should still be hard in the middle when you remove it from the heat, and there should not be any liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, then transfer it to a sheet pan. 15 minutes before serving, resume cooking as instructed.

This keeps for a few days in the refrigerator and freezes well. Bring back to a simmer and serve. It will benefit from being made ahead.