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Borlotti bean risotto How-To

Preparation and cooking

• - Shell the borlotti beans and put them in a pan with abundant cold water without salt.
  Add a dried bay leaf and bring to the boil.
  When the water boils, lower the flame and continue cooking, half-covered, until the beans are tender.
  Remember the beans must be cooked with the rice for other 15-20 minutes.
  Remember you can't add any cold water and borlotti beans must be always covered with water.
  Add boiling water if necessary
• - Once cooked, drain the borlotti beans and put apart.
  Keep the cooking liquid apart. You'll use it to prepare your vegetable stock!
  Blend one third of borlotti beans with a tablespoon of their cooking liquid and put apart.
• - Prepare the vegetable stock and keep it boiling.
• - Put the olive oil together with the carrot, celery, onions and the second dried bay leaf in a large pan.
• - Let all the ingredients fry slightly on low heat, stirring now and then.
• - Add the puréed tomatoes and let all the ingredients flavor for few minutes on a medium heat, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon.
• - Now add the rice and let the cooking juice reduce very well, stirring now and then.
• - Pour in the wine, stir and let it evaporate completely, stirring frequently.
• - Then add the beans and 2 ladles boiling stock.
• - Let the stock reduce well before adding other one.
  Remember to stir frequently.
• - Continue cooking, adding the stock when necessary, until the rice is tender or according to the package directions.
• - The risotto must be dry and the rice grains must be separated.
• - A minute before turning off the stove add the puréed beans, chives and parsley.

Just before serving

• - Wait some minutes before serving.
• - Serve your risotto with a little bowl full of grated Parmesan.
  Everyone will be able to sprinkle it on the top of his risotto according to his own taste.

Tips and menu planning

• - You can use frozen beans (300g - 10 1/2 ounces) instead of the fresh ones. In this case follow the package directions for cooking them. But you can also use canned beans (1 400g - 14 ounce can); in this case you should add them, well drained, 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
• - Any bean risotto left? don't worry. It tastes fantastic if you warm it up.

Healthy eating

• - Daily menu. Risotto with borlotti beans has few ingredients. It's a typical vegetarian dish. It's perfect for your family lunch in late summer and early fall. Read its nutrition facts. I didn't calculate grated Parmesan. Every 10g of Parmesan you can add about 38 calories. Eat some seasonal vegetables if you're still hungry. Chicory, fennel or the last bell peppers are perfect to munch on. Complete your meal with fresh seasonal fruit.
  I remember rice should be eaten preferably at lunch and the calories eaten at lunch should be 500 - 700 (30 - 35% of energy needs for an adult if his daily needs are about 2000 calories and he correctly divides his calories into 5 micro-meals).
  At dinner you could eat a portion of meat (100g - 3 1/2 ounces) or fish (150g - 5 1/3 ounces) with raw or cooked vegetables and a portion of bread (50g - 1 3/4 ounce).
  If you follow a vegetarian diet you can eat a portion of fresh cheese such as ricotta or mozzarella (100g - 3 1/2 ounces) or aged cheese (60g - 1 3/2 ounce) with raw or cooked vegetables and a portion of bread (50g - 1 3/4 ounce).
  You could choose minestrone soup instead of boiled vegetables.
• - Doses per head. 80g (2.8 ounces) long-grain, parboiled rice, 200g (7 ounces) fresh beans in the pod, a little onion, carrot and celery stick, the amount you prefer of chives and parsley, 100g (3 1/2 ounce) puréed tomatoes, 300ml (10 fluid ounces or 1 1/3 cup) vegetable stock, 2 teaspoons olive oil and less than half a glass of wine.
  
• - Celebration menu. If you prepare it for a celebration menu don't worry too much about the nutrition facts. It's a rare event.
• - Fresh borlotti bean risotto has only 9.3 grams of fiber. The recommended daily value is 23g.
• - If you want to drink a glass of wine remember you have to add 80-85 kCal per 100 ml.
• - I remember you our original home recipes can be made without salt. There is always a combination of flavors that substitutes salt. Other no salt recipes ...

By Loretta

What's the right wine for " Risotto with borlotti beans - Our original home cooking " ?

Our suggestion is: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cerasuolo (red wine from Italy).