One of the most comforting dishes I can think of is that of a classic Italian risotto. Short-grain Arborio rice is slowly cooked to release its starches, and these starches make for a creamy, decadent rice dish. Comforting and versatile, a risotto can be flavored in any which way you desire. (One piece of advice however is to cook the risotto over low heat, stirring often—so no walking away from the stove while this is cooking!) For this version I flavored the risotto with kale, thin green beans, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. To finish it all off I carried the ‘green’ theme through and topped the bowl with shelled pistachios. Filling enough to be a main course dish, this risotto can also be served as a lovely side dish as well.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Lemony Kale Risotto with Pistachios
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Arborio rice
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup steamed kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup steamed haricots verts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Directions:
- Heat the butter in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat. Add in the garlic cloves and saute for 1 minute. Add in the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to toast the rice and coat each grain with the butter. Add in the white wine and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the liquid has evaporated.
- Now, with about 1/2 cup of chicken broth at a time, ladle in the broth and stir, until the broth has evaporated. Then continue adding in the broth and cooking the risotto until it is al dente and puffed up. (This can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes….but keep stirring!)
- Add in the cooked veggies and lemon juice and stir the risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat an stir in the 1/4 cup of cheese. Serve warm with more cheese, if desired, and the pistachios.
Tagged: arborio rice, fresh kale, haricots verts, Italian, Italy, kale, kale risotto, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, pistachios, rice, risotto, roasted pistachios, white wine
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