Risotto With Green Beans
Published October 13, 2010
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
FOR THE PESTO
1 or 2 garlic cloves, to taste
1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds or Mediterranean pine nuts
Salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup (2 ½ ounces) freshly grated Parmesan
FOR THE RISOTTO
½ pound green beans, trimmed and broken in half
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock, as needed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, minced
1 ½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
½ cup dry white wine, like as pinot grigio or fumé blanc
Salt
freshly ground pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
56 grams carbs; 16 milligrams cholesterol; 485 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1004 milligrams sodium; 16 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
FOR THE PESTO
- Step 1
To make the pesto, turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add the basil, pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the Parmesan, and pulse until well combined. You can also use a mortar and pestle: Add the basil leaves gradually, and mash with the pestle. Add the pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Mash to a paste with the basil. Work in the olive oil and the Parmesan.
- Step 2
To make the risotto, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan, and add the green beans. Boil for five minutes, remove the green beans with a skimmer, and refresh with cold water. Turn down the heat under the stock, and keep at a simmer. Make sure that it is well seasoned.
- Step 3
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the rice. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until the grains separate and begin to crackle.
- Step 4
Add the wine. Cook, stirring, until there is no more visible in the pan. Stir in enough of the simmering stock to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add more stock. Continue to cook in this fashion — stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry — until the rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Step 5
Add the green beans and another ladleful or two of stock to the rice. Stir in the pesto, taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, stir a couple of times, and serve. The risotto should be creamy.
Advance preparation: You can begin this dish several hours ahead, and cook the rice for 10 to 15 minutes (halfway through Step 4) as instructed above. Spread in a thin layer in the pan, and resume cooking about 20 minutes before you wish to serve.
Private Notes
Comments
I made this a student way, with peanuts instead of pine nuts and lager instead of wine. Worked better than anyone expected!
This is a fabulous recipe to make for the vegetarians in your life. I saved time by using a pre-made pesto and I don’t think it diminished it at all.
This recipe turned out really well, however instead of standing and stirring, stirring, I made the recipe up to the middle of step 4. I heated my oven to 425F, poured in 5 cups of stock and put the risotto in the oven for 45 minutes. After taking the risotto out of the oven I tossed in the beans and pesto and stirred to combine. Turned out very creamy and delicious without the tedious constantly adding stock. I do the above with all my risotto recipes. Much easier and less stand up time.
A delicious recipe that worked to clear a few things from the pantry. I used walnuts instead of pumpkin seeds in the pesto: worked nicely. I’d likely cut the string beans a bit shorter, as mine were long, so there’s less harsh contrast between the rice and the beans, but that’s a nibbling point.
Loved this dish, although the recipe was more inspiration and guide than something I followed. I had half a recipe left from Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Pesto so I used that in the risotto instead of following the recipe. It was an excellent combination. The rice and cauliflower tasted so good together that I didn't add the pesto, but served it on the side. One big question. 1 cup of raw rice serves 6 according to portion control. But your recipe says 1 1/2 c raw rice serves 6.