Broccoli Risotto

⏳ Time

40 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Enjoy your meal! I made this for the first time, and I really missed fresh basil while tasting it, so I recommend serving it with that.

Ingredients

Arborio rice - 8.8 oz
Broccoli - 12.3 oz
Tomatoes - 2 pieces
Onion - 1 piece
Garlic - 3 cloves
Dry White Wine - 8 fl oz
Salt - to taste
Chicken Broth - 24 fl oz
Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Olive Oil - 5 tablespoons
Butter - 0.5 oz
Fresh basil leaves - to taste
Parmesan Cheese - 1.8 oz
Saffron - 0 oz

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Read the entire recipe before cooking to avoid confusion and poor results later. First, chop the onion into small cubes and crush the garlic using a garlic press. Cut the broccoli into fairly thin slices, removing any thick stalks. Try to use fresh broccoli — its flavor is much richer. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, and melt the butter in it. Once the mixture stops bubbling, add the onion and garlic.

Step 2

Start heating the broth, adding the saffron to it. When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat but keep it on the hot burner. When the onion becomes soft and starts to brown in some places, add the rice. Do NOT rinse the rice, as this will wash away the starch needed to create a creamy consistency. Once the rice starts to become translucent (3–4 minutes), pour in the wine and wait for the alcohol smell to dissipate. Immediately add the broccoli, as it takes a while to cook.

Step 3

The next step is to add the broth. Pour in enough to completely cover the broccoli and rice. Wait for the broth to evaporate, then add the next portion. Ensure that the broccoli is mixed in with the rice and broth; otherwise, it won't cook properly. Of course, the amount of broth is approximate, as it depends on many factors — the quality and type of rice, cooking temperature, and so on. While the rice is cooking in the broth, chop the tomatoes into medium-sized cubes.

Step 4

Since the rice should ultimately be al dente (that is, a bit firm in the center), keep a close eye on it and taste the dish. Keep in mind that after you remove the rice from the heat, it will continue to cook for a while. The entire cooking process from the moment you add the wine usually takes me about 20 minutes. So, when you feel that the rice is still a bit firm but will soon be ready, immediately(!) add the tomatoes and let them 'melt down.' There should be nothing left but the skins. This will take about 2–3 minutes. Now remove the risotto from the heat, add the grated Parmesan in portions, and stir. I warn you, the broccoli will also be slightly al dente, if you can say that. But this will not affect the taste at all; rather, the flavor of the broccoli will be very fresh and pronounced.