ITALIAN RECIPES
Vegetable risotto and more…
Squash Risotto
Ingredients:
Half a butternut squash, peeled and diced (or a slice of a larger winter squash, about 3/4 pound (350 g) diced)
1 1/2 cups (300 g) Carnaroli, Arborio, or other short-grained rice
1/2 cup dry white wine, warmed
1 quart (1 liter) stock (vegetable or bouillon will be fine)
1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano, or more, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper to tastePreparation:
Squash doesn't sauté well, so you will need to cook it separately and then add it to the rice. Begin by putting the diced squash in a pot, adding broth or bouillon to cover, seasoning with a little pepper, and heat the pot over a medium flame. Heat the remaining bouillon or stock in another pot. In the meantime, chop the onion and sauté over a medium flame it in the olive oil in a different pot.
When the onion is translucent and light gold, add the rice and continue to sauté for another 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly lest the rice stick and burn. The grains of rice will become translucent. While the rice is toasting, heat the wine in your microwave for about 30 seconds.
Add it to the rice, and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated. Now add the simmering squash, the pieces of which will by this time be falling apart. Stir gently, lest the rice stick to the bottom of the pot and burn, and add more liquid as the rice absorbs what's in the pot. Let the rice absorb most of the liquid (you're not making soup), but don't wait until it looks dry, because the grains will begin to flake if you do.
Don't forget to check seasoning. Continue adding liquid until the rice reaches the al dente stage of doneness -- chewy but firm. If you prefer a drier risotto, make the last ladle of liquid a little smaller. If you instead prefer a more liquid risotto (what's called all'onda, like a wave, in Italian) be a little more abundant with the final ladle. Stir a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter into the risotto if you want a creamier texture, and then add the grated cheese, followed by minced parsley.
Turn off the burner, cover the risotto, and let it sit for two minutes, during which time everything will come together and meld.
Bell Pepper and Gorgonzola Risotto
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (300 g) Arborio or similar short-grained rice
2 grilled bell peppers (bought from the deli will be fine), skinned and chopped
1/8 pound (60 g) Gorgonzola A small onion, or a spring onion, chopped (the green part too of the latter)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 quart (1 liter) beef broth (unsalted bouillon will also work)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup (40 g) freshly grated Parmigiano
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butterPreparation:
Sauté the onion and the garlic in the oil and half the butter, over a moderate flame, for a few minutes -- you want them to wilt, but not brown. Add the peppers and the rice, together with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, over a medium flame for 3-5 minutes, and then fish out and discard the garlic.
Add a first ladle of broth, and continue adding broth and gently stirring as the rice absorbs it, until it reaches the al dente stage. About half way through the cooking, add the gorgonzola to the pot, and when the rice is al dente, stir in the butter, Parmigiano, and cream. Cover and let rest for a minute, and it's ready. To drink? Bubbly; a sparkling Gavi would be nice, as would a sparkling Lugana.
Zucchini Flower Risotto with Prosecco
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (300 g) Vialone Nano or other short-grained rice
Simmering vegetable broth (unsalted canned will work if need be; you'll want a quart)
10 zucchini blossoms
1/4 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano
Half a white onion, minced
Olive oil
1 cup sparkling Prosecco (warm)
2 walnut-sized chunks of unsalted butter
Salt & pepper to tastePreparation:
Wash the blossoms gently, removing the stems and pistils, and pat the yellow petals dry. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and gently sauté the onion, stirring it with a spoon, until it has begun to turn golden. Add the rice and turn the burner up to a brisk flame; cook, stirring, until the grains have become translucent -- 3 to 5 minutes.
Add half the wine and stiff, then lower the flame and begin adding broth a ladle at a time, stirring gently. When the rice is almost done, thinly slice the zucchini petals and stir them in too; check seasoning, stir in the butter and the cheese, and turn off the flame. Let the risotto sit covered for about 30 seconds, then sprinkle the remaining Prosecco over it, Stir again, and it's ready to serve.
Buon appetito!
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