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1
Shell the peas, setting the shelled peas aside. Place the empty pods in a large saucepan with the light chicken stock or water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, then strain, pressing the pods firmly to extract all liquid. Discard the pods. Keep the broth hot over a low flame throughout cooking. The broth should smell sweetly grassy and green.
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2
In a wide, heavy saucepan set over medium heat, render the pancetta until it begins to colour and its fat runs clear. Add the chopped onion and cook gently, stirring, until soft and translucent but without colour — the soffritto should smell sweet and faintly savoury.
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3
Add the Vialone Nano rice to the pan and stir to coat in the pancetta fat. Toast briefly — no more than a minute — until the grains turn slightly opaque at their edges and the pan carries a faintly nutty scent.
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4
Begin ladling the hot pod broth into the rice, one ladle at a time, stirring continuously and allowing each addition to be almost absorbed before adding the next. This is where the dish lives or dies: the broth volume is substantially higher than for standard risotto — maintain a looser, wetter consistency throughout, never allowing the rice to tighten as it would in risotto. The surface should move and ripple with each stir.
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5
At the halfway point — when the rice is approximately half-cooked and still carries a firm centre — add the shelled peas. Continue ladling in hot broth and stirring. The peas should remain vivid emerald green; if they begin to dull, the heat is too high or the peas have been added too early.
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6
When the rice is just tender but retains a thread of bite and the peas are bright green and just yielding to gentle pressure, remove the pan from the heat. The consistency must be all'onda: tilt the pan — the rice should flow slowly in a single wave rather than hold its shape. If it stands firm, stir in an additional ladle of hot broth.
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7
Off the heat, add the cold diced butter, the grated Grana Padano, and the mint leaves. Stir with a gentle folding motion until the butter is fully incorporated and the surface is glossy. Taste for salt. Serve immediately in warmed shallow bowls — the dish will thicken rapidly and will not hold.