Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 15-20 Cook Time: 40-50 Ingredients. 3 Tablespoons of butter (olive oil works as well) 1 ½ Cups of Butternut Squash, chopped 2 Artichokes 6 Cups of Vegetable Stock 2 Cups of Risotto Rice 1 Handful of freshly chopped Parsley Salt and Pepper Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, to serve. How to prepare it. Break off the Artichoke stems and discard the outer coarse leaves of the chokes, then cut into thin wedges. Bring your Vegetable Stock to a boil. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan; add the Squash and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add a half glass of water to help the sauce, and use a wooden spoon to mash the Squash. Add the Artichokes and on a medium flame cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in the Rice and season with salt and pepper. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth, a ladle at the time, and stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes (depending on the kind of risotto). When the rice is tender serve it on the plates and sprinkle the Parsley and some Parmesan cheese on top. Notes: Never add too much broth at one time, and always make sure the broth is hot, otherwise it will stop the cooking process. If you already finished the broth and the rice is not yet done cooking, heat up a couple of cups of water, and ladle by ladle bring your dish to the end. It is a little exercise, but risottos usually benefit from a little burning …
Due to the enormous amount of requests…..we are unleashing a truly “rich” episodes: Melanzane alla Parmigiana. So, roll up your sleeves and get cookin’! Visit www.underthetuscangun.com to grab the full recipe! Buon Appetito!!! Debi and Gabriele
Part 1 of 2. Risotto with Sausage and Asparagus. Ingredients: 1 cup of risotto (Arborio) rice 3 Pork or Turkey Sausages; 2 Mild & 1 Hot 1 Lb asparagus 1 cup of dry white wine 1 cup of broth or asparagus water 1/4 onion 1 handful of parsley Salt & Pepper Hot Red pepper (if you’d like) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated! Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20 min Getting Ready With the ingredients. Chop your Onion, not too thin… Chop the parsley very fine… Wash the asparagus, and put it in a pot of boiling water (5-7 Min). Then move it into a plate, but save the water you cooked it in it. Put a few asparagus aside (you will use it to decorate the dish), and chop the rest of it in 1/2-inch pieces. Cooking your dish. Sauté the onion on a medium-high flame. When browned, remove the casing from the sausages, and break the content into the pan…cook the onion and the sausage together until all the meat is golden brown. Do not worry; the onion won’t burn, as the sausages will start pouring juice in the pan… Add the rice…stir until all the ingredients are properly mixed (about a minute). Pour the wine and stir…Wait until almost all the wine is absorbed (let the alcohol evaporate)… From now, until the rice is cooked, your job is to keep the rice always wet…but not too much…Start using the broth, or if you prefer the water you cooked the asparagus in…add it slowly, while stirring… Season the rice with salt, pepper, the red pepper (if you’d like) and some of the …
Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: 20 Cooking Time: 10-15 Goes well with… As an appetizer, with a salad, or as a warm bite for a wine tasting evening…. Tips… if you intend to serve it to your kids, slice the croquette in halves before you do so…they will cool off quicker. 2 Cups of leftover risotto, cold from the fridge. 3 Eggs 1/3 Cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese ½ Cup of ham ½ Cup of Mozzarella Cheese 1 handful of fresh Parsley 1 Cup all purpose flour Breadcrumbs Canola or vegetable oil Separate 1 egg yolk. Chop the ham and the mozzarella in very small pieces. Wash the Parsley and chop it fine. In a big mixing bowl, pour the leftover risotto, the egg yolk, the Parmesan and the Mozzarella cheese, the Ham and the Parsley. Stir well, using a wooden spoon, until all the ingredients are well mixed together. Wisk two eggs into a medium-small bowl. Prepare a plate (or small bowl) with the flour and one with the breadcrumbs. Roll, roll, roll your balls… One by one, gently roll each ball into the flour, then dip it into the beaten eggs, and then roll it again into the breadcrumbs. By doing this you will create a nice crust on the outside of the croquettes, it will help maintaining its round shape while cooking, but also it will keep the warmth inside for a while after they are cooked… Heat up about 1 ½ cup of Canola oil in a non- stick pan. Prepare two plates lining them with some paper towel, to dry the balls as they come out of the pan. When the oil is ready start frying …
We are still in Nonna’s kitchen, in Fiesole, and today, with a great deal of pleasure, we are cooking with a very special guest: Margherita. She is an amazing cook of all things Tuscan, and even if she does not speak a work of English, we hope this recipe translates into a mouthful of pleasure for all of you! Join us today for a great recipe: Pesto Lasagne. www.underthetuscangun.com