Ingredients
Serves 4-6I litre chicken or vegetable stock
Olive oil
1 leek, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups Vialone Nano rice
½ cup dry white wine
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
2 tbsp butter
1 small bunch spinach, well washed
2 cups broad beans
1 bunch asparagus, cut into small pieces
1 cup hot stock, extra
Method
Cook the broad beans in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Refresh
under cold water. Drain well and then remove tough skins. Blanch asparagus in
boiling water for 1 minute and refresh under cold water.
Heat a large frying pan and add a splash of olive oil. Add spinach, broad beans
and asparagus and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Puree roughly in a
blender or food processor, adding a little hot stock if necessary to blend. You
want the vegies to be coarsely chopped, not pureed mush. Set aside.
Heat stock in a large saucepan. Add a little oil and then leek and garlic and
sweat over a medium heat. Add rice and allow to toast, but not brown, stirring
well for 2 minutes. Add wine and allow to bubble and evaporate. Add hot stock
all at once and salt & pepper. Bring to the boil, stir, cover and simmer for 15
minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in prepared vegetables and allow to rest for a few
minutes. Stir in ½ the cheese and the butter, stirring well to create a creamy
consistency. Add a little of the extra stock if necessary.
Serve in individual bowls and garnish with remaining cheese.
Notes
Vialone Nano is an Italian white rice with short, plump grains, which have a
creamy consistency when cooked. They are commonly used in risotto dishes and
have a high starch content. Since Italian rice varieties contain more starch than
other types of rice, it is important not to rinse the rice before or after cooking in
order to retain the natural flavour provided by the starch. A better quality of rice
will give you a better result when making a no-stir or baked risotto.
This risotto is designed to showcase the beautiful spring vegetables that are
available at the moment. If you don't like broad beans, substitute new season
peas.