(Risotto with borlotti beans - Our recipe)

Time: preparation: 5 minutes ........ cooking: 25 minutes ........ plus time for beans About 500 g (1,1 lb) fresh borlotti beans 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 stick of celery, finely chopped 2 fresh young onions, finely chopped 250 ml (8 fl oz - 1C) puréed tomatoes 2 tablespoons dried chives 2 tablespoons dried parsley 4 teaspoons dried bay leaves 250 ml (8 fl oz - 1C) red wine About 800 ml (28 fl oz - 3 2/3 C) vegetable stock 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 200 g (7 oz) rice Grated Parmesan, if you like Medium difficulty recipe

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

Shell the borlotti beans and put them in a pan with abundant cold water whitout salt. Add 2 teaspoons dried bay leaves and bring to the boil. When the water boils, lower the flame and keep on cooking, half-covered, until the beans are tender. When you control the cooking step, remember the beans must be cooked with the rice for other 15-20 minutes. Drain and put apart.
Prepare the vegetable stock and keep it boiling during all the time in which the rice cooks. Put the olive oil together with the carrot, celery and onions in a pan. Add the puréed tomatoes, chives, parsley and the remaining dried bay leaves and let all the ingredients flavour for some minutes on a medium heat, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon. At this point pour in the rice and let all retire very well, stirring now and then. Add the wine, stir and let it evaporate completely, stirring frequently. Then add the beans and 2 ladles boiling stock. Let the rice dry before adding other stock. Remember to stir frequently. Keep on 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. Wait some minutes before serving. If you want, you can sprinkle some grated Parmesan on the surface.

Note

• - You can use frozen beans (300 g – 10 ½ oz) instead of the fresh ones. In this case follow the package directions for the cooking. But you can also use canned beans (1 400 g – 14 oz can); in this case you should add them, well drained, 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
• - It's a great one-course meal; complete your meal with fresh fruit. If you want to serve it with other courses, remember to reduce the doses.
• - It's also a low fat dish according to the Mediterranean diet.

What's the right wine?
Our suggestion is: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cerasuolo (red wine from Italy).

If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu,
consult our "Members-only Area".