Risotto with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
In being faced with what to make for dinner I was at a loss. Then I remember that I hadn’t made risotto in a while and the decision was made. It’s a meal I really do enjoy making as it’s wonderful as a celebration meal or it’s a perfect vehicle for a leftovers dinner. There is nothing hard about making risotto – it just takes a little patience and a lot of stirring. The classic is risotto Milanese which is just the arborio rice, broth, parmesan cheese and (affiliate link) saffron.
What is Risotto?
It’s a dish that was developed in Northern Italy – rice has been grown in Italy since the 14th century and risotto is an appetizer or first course more than a main course in that country. The kind of rice that we use now to make risotto was developed in the 20th century.
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Risotto is usually made with a high starch, medium or short grain rice. As you stir and add liquid the rice absorbs the broth and the dish gets its traditional creamy texture. There are several different varieties of rice that can be used to make risotto but I have always used arborio.
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Risotto with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Serves 3 – 4
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups broccoli and cauliflower
- 1 TBS olive oil
- salt
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Heat oven to 400
- Cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Spread on heavy duty baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown. Set aside.
- Pour chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a simmer and keep warm.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the oil, then the rice. Stir until the rice is coated with oil and starting to toast.
- Stir in the white wine and keep stirring until it all absorbed.
- Add a ladleful of chicken broth and stir until it s absorbed. Do this until there is only one ladleful of broth left.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
- Stir in most of the cheese; leave a little to top the finished dish.
- Add the roasted vegetables and stir to mix through.
- Remove from the heat, cover and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
To serve: add to a bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
How Was the Risotto with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower?
It was very tasty. The rice was al dente, the cheese was just enough and the roasted vegetables added a delightful flavor to the dish. Risotto is a wonderful meal – very filling and you truly can make it what you want. I love versatile dishes like that. Once you learn the base recipe you can go where you will and add in what you like.
I first learned to make it with a cookbook I bought way back in the late 1980s called Risotto – I know, real hard to discern what that one’s about, eh? It’s still available so it must be a popular book.
