The Amazing World of Rice (14 page)

Spinach gives this risotto a green-flecked appearance. The sharpness of the pecorino Romano, an Italian sheep's milk cheese, is mellowed and softened by the richness of the rice. If preferred, use half Parmigiano-Reggiano and half pecorino.

 

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped onion

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

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cup dry white wine

12 ounces spinach, trimmed, washed, and coarsely chopped (4 cups lightly packed)

4 halves sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed, drained, and cut into ¼-inch pieces

¼ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1.
  Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large deep skillet. Add the onion; cook over low heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
  
• 2.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach and dried tomatoes. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 3.
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 4.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Add a grinding of black pepper to each bowl. Serve at once.
  

Make this risotto when fresh tomatoes are in season. A variety of cheeses can be successfully paired in this risotto—try a tangy cheese such as Asiago or ricotta salata with a creamy cheese such as mozzarella or fresh goat cheese. But if none is available, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano works just fine.

2 cups seeded and diced (¼-inch) ripe plum tomatoes (about 8 tomatoes)

1 tablespoon chopped basil, plus 4 large basil leaves, tightly curled together and cut into paper-thin slivers or chiffonade

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 to 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped onion

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup diced mozzarella, preferably fresh

¼ cup freshly grated Asiago

• 1.
  Combine the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil, the garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Stir; set aside at room temperature.
  
• 2.
  Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
  
• 3.
  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the onion; cook over low heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
  
• 4.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the risotto is cooked, add 1½ cups of the tomatoes. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 5.
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the mozzarella, and Asiago. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 6.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Garnish with the remaining tomatoes and the basil chiffonade.
  

Cheese and seafood are rarely served together in Italian cooking, but this shrimp and corn risotto is an exception. Shell the shrimp and make the shrimp broth for the risotto up to one day before preparing the risotto.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined (shells reserved)

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ cup dry white wine

1 bay leaf 1 onion slice

1 leafy celery top

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup thinly sliced white part of scallions

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

1 cup corn kernels (from 2 ears)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped basil

• 1.
  For the shrimp broth:
  Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a shrimp shell. Add the shrimp shells; cook, stirring, until they change color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add the wine; boil until reduced by half. Add 10 cups water, the bay leaf, onion slice, and celery top; heat to a boil. Reduce the heat; simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 6 to 8 cups, about 1 hour. Strain; discard the solids.
  
• 2.
  Transfer the shrimp broth to a saucepan; add salt to taste. Keep at a simmer over low heat.
  
• 3.
  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the scallions; cook over low heat, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes.
  
• 4.
  Add ½ cup of the hot shrimp broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the
  risotto is cooked, add the shrimp, corn, and lemon zest. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 5.
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and basil. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 6.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Serve at once, with additional cheese on the side.
  

Oven-roasted beets, with their intense sweet flavor and their stunning deep pink color, make a festive dish. Select beets with tender leafy green tops, and cook the tops to use as a garnish.

4 medium beets, tops and roots trimmed (reserve tender leafy tops)

1 teaspoon minced rosemary, plus 4 rosemary sprigs, about 1 inch long

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped onion

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

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cup dry red wine

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  
• 2.
  Cut four pieces, each about 10 inches square, of aluminum foil. Set a beet in the center of each; top with a little minced rosemary. Wrap the beets in the foil, crimping the edges to keep in the juices. Place directly on an oven rack and roast until the beets are tender when pieced with a fork, about 1½ hours. Let cool.
  
• 3.
  Unwrap the beets, reserving the juices. Rub off the beet skins. Cut the beets into ¼-inch slices; stack and cut into ¼-inch strips, then dice. Set aside in a bowl with the beet juices. (This can be done up to 2 days ahead.)
  
• 4.
  If the beet tops are tender and unblemished, rinse well and trim the long stems. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Blanch in boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain. Reserve.
  
• 5.
  Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
  
• 6.
  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the onion; cook over low heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the
  rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
  
• 7.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the risotto is cooked, stir in the beets with their juices and the orange zest. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 8.
  Meanwhile, if using beet greens, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the beet greens; heat, stirring, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm over very low heat.
  
• 9.
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese to the risotto. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 10.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. If using beet greens, tuck a small portion of beet greens into the center of each mound of risotto. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs. Serve at once.
  

Make this with the most flavorful sweet Italian sausage you can find, preferably with fennel seeds. Ideally the bell peppers should be freshly roasted and peeled, but in a pinch, use store-bought roasted peppers. Rinse jarred peppers well with cold water before using.

2 red bell peppers

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 small garlic clove, minced

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1.
  Preheat the broiler. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil just large enough to enclose the peppers on the broiler pan; place the peppers on top. Broil about 2 inches from the heat source, turning frequently, until evenly charred. Remove from the broiler. Wrap the foil around the peppers and let stand until cool enough to handle.
  
• 2.
  Working over the foil to catch the juices, remove the stems, seeds, membranes, and skin from the peppers. Cut into ¼-inch dice; place in a small bowl. Set a strainer over the bowl; drain the juices in the foil over the peppers. (This can be done up to 1 day ahead.)
  
• 3.
  Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage; cook, breaking it into pieces with the side of a fork, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain off the fat. Reserve the sausage.
  
• 4.
  Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
  
• 5.
  Heat the olive oil in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet over low heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes.
  
• 6.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the risotto is cooked, add the roasted peppers with their juices and half of the sausage. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 7.
  Add the butter and cheese. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving. Meanwhile, reheat the remaining sausage.
  
• 8.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Place a few pieces of sausage on each mound of risotto. Add a grinding of black pepper to each bowl. Serve at once.
  

Artichokes so fresh you could almost hear them gasp when you snapped off the leaves, the lemon tree in our garden heavy with fruit, and fresh new growth on our rosemary hedge convinced me that it was time to make risotto with artichoke hearts. I like to use pancetta, unsmoked Italian-style bacon, in the risotto, as the smokiness of regular bacon detracts from the sweetness of the artichokes. If pancetta is unavailable, use slivers of prosciutto.

4 medium artichokes

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, bruised with the side of a knife

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or aged red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced rosemary, plus 4 small sprigs (about 1 inch)

Freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

1 slice (¼-inch) pancetta, minced

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cup finely chopped carrot

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cup finely chopped onion

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus Parmigiano-Reggiano curls for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1.
  Pull off the tough outer layers of artichoke leaves and discard. Trim the ends of the stems. Lay the artichokes on their sides and cut 1 inch off the top. Place in a large pot; add water to cover. Add the bay leaf, garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Place a plate small enough to fit inside the pot on top of the artichokes to keep them submerged (they are floaters!). Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and boil gently until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a skewer, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain. Let cool.
  
• 2.
  Pull off the outer artichoke leaves, set aside. Discard the small inside leaves with the thorny tips. Using the tip of a teaspoon, scoop out and discard the fuzzy
  chokes. Dice the hearts and tender stems into ¼-inch pieces. (There should be about 2 cups.) Reserve half the outer artichoke leaves for garnish. Reserve the remaining leaves for another use.
  
• 3.
  In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the minced rosemary, a pinch of salt, and a grinding of black pepper; whisk to blend. Add the reserved artichoke leaves; toss to coat. Set aside.
  
• 4.
  Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
  
• 5.
  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and onion; cook until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until absorbed.
  
• 6.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the risotto is cooked, add the diced artichoke hearts and the lemon zest. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 7.
  Add the butter and cheese. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 8.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Sprinkle each dish with a pinch of the remaining rosemary. Top with a few curls of cheese. Arrange the artichoke leaves in a sunburst pattern around each serving of risotto. Place a rosemary sprig in the center. Serve at once.