Vegetable Risotto With Pesto Recipes

PESTO RISOTTO WITH CANNELLINI BEANS, TOMATOES, AND POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in white wine. Cook, stirring frequently, until wine is absorbed.
• Add 1/2 cup broth, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Working in batches, continue adding 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring until all broth is absorbed. When done, rice should be tender and creamy. (Step 2 should take 20 to 25 minutes total.)
• Stir Parmesan cheese, pesto, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 tablespoon vinegar into the risotto. Keep warm.
• Combine beans, tomatoes, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook, covered, over medium heat, until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, bring 4 cups water and the remaining vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (bubbles should begin to break the surface of the water). Break an egg into a custard cup. Hold the lip of the cup close to water and slip egg into water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. Use a slotted spoon to remove from skillet.
• Serve risotto topped with tomato-bean mixture, poached eggs, and remaining parsley. Sprinkle with pepper.

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PESTO

Steps:

• Put well-seasoned stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
• Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir until it is no longer visible in the pan. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often. After 10 minutes, add asparagus and continue to stir and add stock for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through but still al dente.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

SPRING RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the pot and blanch, just until bright green, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking, about 30 seconds. Transfer the asparagus to a colander to drain. Repeat with the English peas, sugar snap peas, and fiddleheads.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté just until translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 1 minute.
• Stir the wine into the rice, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring periodically, until the rice absorbs the wine, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup/240ml stock and 2 teaspoons salt, return to a simmer, and let cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Spread the rice mixture on a baking sheet and set aside until you are ready to finish the dish, or skip this step and keep cooking, continuing with adding the hot stock.
• About 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, return the rice mixture to the sauté pan and cook over medium heat. Stir 1 cup/240ml of the hot stock into the rice mixture and cook until the moisture has been nearly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining 3 cups/720ml of stock, adding 1 cup/240ml at a time. When you still see liquid pooling here and there in the pan, remove from the heat and stir in the blanched vegetables and the Parmesan. Quickly stir in the pesto and serve.
• Store risotto, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Do Ahead
• To prepare the risotto ahead of time, cook the vegetables and the rice up until you add the wine and 1 cup/240ml of stock. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, spread the rice and onion mixture on a baking sheet to hold until you're ready to finish cooking. Just before dinner, return the rice to the pot and resume cooking until done.

VEGETABLE RISOTTO WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan or wok.
• Add the onion and fry for a few minutes.
• Add the pepper to the onion and fry for another two or three minutes.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low.
• Add the rice and stir to coat.
• The rice grains should turn from cloudy to clear.
• Begin adding the bouillon, about 1/4 cup at a time.
• It's important to keep stirring, as the rice will absorb the liquid quickly and could burn if left unattended.
• After about 10 minutes, add the chopped tomato and the zucchini.
• After 20 minutes add the mushrooms.
• Continue to add bouillon when the rice has absorbed it.
• After about 25 minutes add the peas.
• The bouillon should be just about up by now.
• The rice usually takes about 25-30 minutes to finish cooking.
• To test for doneness, take a bite.
• It could be a bit chewy, but shouldn't be really hard.
• After the bouillon has been used up and the rice is done, stir in the pesto.
• Mix well.
• You can add salt and pepper to taste.
• Mixing in some extra grated parmesan makes the rice a bit creamier.
• Top with a bit of parmesan, if desired.
• Serve with a nice crusty bread.
• For Vegetarian use the Vegetable Stock.