Author Notes
Being from Europe basically means eating a lot of Italian food. Risotto is clearly one of my favorites. It is easy to prepare, great to adapt to seasons (asparagus, pumpkin or mixed veggies) and since wine is required for the preparation, you always get a glass to drink ;-)
I am particularly proud of this risotto recipe that I have developed from scratch and perfected over the years. It’s easy to prepare but the combination of ingredients is very unique. This recipe calls for a tasty, ripe avocado, fresh arugula leaves, and some quality parmesan. I always drizzle pumpkin seed oil over the risotto to get a rich, nutty flavor. And do not wash the rice before cooking, the starch is what makes the risotto creamy. —Ursula - Lil Vienna
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Ingredients
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2 1/4 cups
vegetable stock (540 ml)
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2
shallots, chopped finely (½ cup, 60 g)
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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1 cup
risotto rice (medium grain rice such as Arborio or Carnaroli) (200 g)
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3/4 cup
dry white wine (you would drink) (180 ml)
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1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1 oz / 30 g)
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1
medium-sized, ripe avocado (6.5 oz, 190 g)
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1 handful
arugula, washed, dried, tough stems removed
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For serving: some arugula leaves, grated Parmesan and 1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
Directions
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Heat vegetable stock and keep it hot over low heat.
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In a medium heavy-based saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened (don’t brown them), about 3 minutes.
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Add the unwashed rice and cook, stirring continually, until the grains begin to crackle or are at least hot, for about 1 minute.
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Add wine and stir until absorbed completely.
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Begin adding the warm stock, about ½ cup at a time. Let the stock absorb, then continue adding stock until the rice is cooked yet still firm to the bite, about 15 minutes. The risotto should be creamy – neither soupy nor dry.
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Peel the avocado, remove the pit and cut into ½ inch cubes, just a minute before the rice is cooked. This way you don’t have to coat the avocado with lemon juice to keep it from turning brown, which would alter the taste of the risotto.
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Stir in the Parmesan cheese, turn off the heat.
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Add the avocado cubes, give it a stir until combined and remove from the heat.
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Tear arugula leaves into bit-size pieces (keep some leaves for decoration) and stir them in.
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Serve the risotto immediately, drizzle with pumpkin seed oil if you have some on hand, and garnish with some arugula leaves and grated Parmesan. Enjoy with a glass of white wine.
Austrian, Cookbook author, Journalist, Food blogger, Globetrotter, (Bread)Baking enthusiast, Recipe-tweaker, Chocolate-lover.
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