Since we liked it so much at ristorante “Sacripante” in Milan we rushed home and tried to make it again. And it turned out really not bad! And this thanks to the kind advice of the chef who revealed some little secrets…
Here’s what you need for the risotto with broccoli pesto and basil, lemon and crescenza:
Ingredients:
- 1 shallot
- Vegetable broth for the willing, stock cube broth for those in a hurry
- Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice 2 cups (one cup for each diner)
- white wine to deglaze
- Sicilian broccoli (tops only: about 250 gr)
- 1 clove of garlic
- the peel of one (large) or two (small) lemons
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto (see recipe)
- 20 g of butter + two knobs of butter for creaming
- 40 g of grated parmesan
- Salt to taste
- pepper as needed.
- chili pepper (a pinch)
- 100 g of crescenza cheese (fresh cheese like stracchino)
Broccoli sauce:
Clean and wash the Sicilian broccoli, keeping only the florets. Put some water to boil and when it reaches the boil, salt it and add the broccoli. Boil for about ten minutes until they are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain.
Heat a little oil in a pan with a clove of garlic. Add the previously boiled broccoli and brown for about ten minutes, season with salt and pepper and add a little chilli (optional, but recommended).
If you see it drying out too much, add a ladle of hot water. Puree everything in a blender until you obtain a frothy cream and set aside.
Risotto:
Finely chop the shallot. Heat a pan with a thick bottom and high sides, browning the chopped shallot in 20 grams of butter.
Once the shallots have been fried (don’t overdo it!), add the rice and cook for about a minute.
Blend everything with a glass of white wine (we used Sicilian Angimbè)
Let the wine dry, add the broth, generously covering the rice. After about 15 minutes (don’t let it stick!) taste the rice, add 3-4 tablespoons of the broccoli cream and mix. Season with salt and pepper. If too dry, adjust by adding broth if necessary.
According to the manual, the risotto is presented on the table after 17 minutes. But, obviously, you have to taste it: turn off the heat with the grain still al dente.
Creaming: (cooking with the heat off)
Add the parmesan and butter and mix. Add the finely grated zest of a lemon.
Finally, add a teaspoon of basil pesto and mix. Creaming should last a couple of minutes.
Serve on a platter with a small square of crescenza in the centre… which is truly a very pleasant discovery!
Sit and eat happily.
