Parmesan Risotto with Pine Nuts

I like love a good risotto – rich and creamy with the characteristic bite of arborio rice. It so wonderfully comforting to sit with a bowl of risotto and it’s even more fun when you’re not thinking *carbs*carbs*carbs* in your head.. I’d been craving for risotto for a while but wasn’t quite willing to toil over a hot stove in this weather we have here. Instead I went for lunch to my favorite place here. I loved their risotto with pine nut, broccoli and zucchini so much that I felt compelled to replicate it. So I was back at the stove, anyway.

Give this a go, I totally loved how this turned out!

Parmesan Risotto with Pine Nuts
Yield: 3-4 servings

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 1/4th cup/250g arborio rice
1 quart/1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
4 tbsp butter
1/4th cup/50 ml heavy cream (optional)
Few sprigs of your favourite herb.
1/2 cup/40-50g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1. Let the chicken stock simmer on a low heat right next to the skillet that is being used to make the risotto. Keeping the stock hot will reduce cooking time.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, saute the onions in the olive on a medium heat until soft and translucent; about 3 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir till it is nicely coated with the olive oil, another 5 minutes. Keep stirring, making sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan.
4. Pour in a ladleful of the stock and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Then add another ladelful or two. Continue adding the stock as the rice has taken it all up. Also, keep stirring. Use up all, but a ladeful of the stock.
5. After about 20 minutes of cooking time, check rice for texture – the risotto is ready when the rice is al dente, which means it has a nice bite to it, just like pasta. For me, it was a little over 25 minutes when this texture was achieved.
6. Also check for seasoning, but do note that the chicken stock as well as the cheese have a lot of salt already, so add salt sparingly, lest you end up with something way to salty.
7. Now it’s time to add the cheese, butter and/or heavy cream and chopped herbs. I used thyme.
8. When it looks nicely blended add the vegetables of your choice – I sauted some zucchini in butter briefly and blanched broccoli in the chicken stock before it was used up.
9. Turn off the heat and the reserved chicken stock. I like the last addition to keep the risotto from looking to thick and stuck together.
10. Serve immediately and dot with pine nuts.

Other good things to add to the risotto:
• Try hazelnuts or spiced walnuts instead of the pine nuts.
• Blanched or grilled asparagus, with extra parmesan shavings on the rice.
• Mushrooms with strips of grilled chicken

As much as I’d wish, the risotto does not keep too well and has to be consumed right off the stove. Since it continues to absorb the liquid, it will not retain the bite. So just make sure you eat it up right away!

Need something richer? Try the Three Cheese Risotto. Decadence.