What – no pasta?!

in Pasta

Dirty Risotto
It’s not often that we have no pasta left in the house, but that’s the case now. We eat pasta 3 times a week, sometimes more and normally we have 6 canisters full – two tall canisters for fettuccine and another string pastas and four smaller cannisters to hold farfalle, penne, Arborio rice or Orzo, and a random “shape of the week.” Today – nothing. I cooked up the very last bit of Arborio last night in Dirty Risotto.

I’m going to try to resist going shopping again as long as I can. We’ll see how long before the withdrawals start!

Dirty Risotto, adapted from the Food Network
5 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp Smart Balance butter
2 oz pancetta, chopped
3 oz spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped (1 large pepper)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup Riesling
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using the end of a wooden spoon or spatula to break any large sausage clumps into very small pieces. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat.

Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

3 comments… add one
  • Hi!

    I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely love your blog. I have looked at what seems like hundreds of food blogs lately, and yours is one of two that I wanted to reach out about. The story about the food “purest” made me laugh out loud…I hope I run into that girl in a food forum.

    Check out my blog if you have the time (it’s very new), and I will keep reading!

    Kitty

  • Linda, The Village Vegetable

    how lovely. this looks delicious. I second Kitty — i LOVE your blog! Glad to have found you!

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