Broccoli Rabe Risotto

I love Italian food. Spaghetti, gnocchi, chicken parmigiana, they’re all delicious. But my absolute favorite Italian dish has got to be risotto. I love the creaminess, the rich flavor, and if you add a protein like chicken or meat balls you have a completely delicious dinner. There’s only one problem with risotto; it’s rare that you find any vegetables in them and I like to have vegetables with my dinner.

While certain vegetables like carrots, broccoli and sweet potato are delicious dinner sides, making them means adding an extra step to the dinner making process. An extra step means it could take longer to get dinner on the table, and when you have two little boys running around working up an appetite, the last thing you want to do is have a late dinner. Trust me. So when I find a risotto recipe that includes a vegetable, I make sure to test it out. Adding veggies to risotto means I still get that rich, cheesy flavor I adore while getting a nice helping of vegetables at the same time. But the best news about a veggie risotto is that my sons get their vegetables without realizing they’re eating them, and those recipes are worth their weight in gold.

While it’s true that risotto requires a lot of standing and stirring, it’s totally worth the effort. See, the longer you stir, the creamier the dish. The creamier the dish, the more likely your little ones will lap it up without inspection. And my sons inspect everything. So, while it’s true this dish is bright green thanks to the broccoli rabe, your children shouldn’t mind. After all in my house cheese and butter definitely trump vegetables.

 Broccoli Rabe Risotto (adapted from Food & Wine Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound broccoli rabe, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Blanch the broccoli rabe in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool under running water. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock and 2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to simmer.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice and cook until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Add one cup of the vegetable stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Repeat one cup at a time with the rest of the stock, stirring, until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
5. Stir the broccoli rabe puree into the risotto along with the grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, stirring, until the risotto is creamy and heated through, about 3 minutes. Season the risotto with salt and pepper. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve.