Risotto seems to be one of those dishes that people are terrified of making…they are worried the texture will be off, the flavor will be bland or the whole dish will stick together into one gooey mess. In my opinion, risottos are one of the easiest, most flavorful and satisfying dishes you can make…and they are pretty quick as well! You can literally put anything you want into your risottos…mushrooms if you’re a mushroom lover, veggies, seafood, meat, literally open your cupboard and your fridge…the options are endless. There is one recipe that I have been making for a couple years and everyone I serve it to raves about it. It’s from Cooking Light (but certainly doesn’t taste like it…) It’s really simple too…I promise. it has these wonderful little pockets of melted cheese that are to die for. Yes, there is a technique to making a good textured risotto, but it’s not rocket science…and no, you don’t have to read Cook’s Illustrated to master it. Simply follow the recipe word for word…and you’ll be good to go!
Sage Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto
-Cooking Light
Ingredients
- 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth. I always keep a little more available in case you need to alter the texture.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup finely chopped leek (for leek preparation, see How to Prepare Leeks
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces prosciutto, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Sage sprigs (optional)
Directions
- Prepare your broth: Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
- Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add leek and garlic; cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
That’s the easy part…now here’s where there is a little margin for error…but as long as you’ve kept your broth warm and continue to stir the rice while adding the liquid in small amounts…it will turn out perfectly.
- Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total).
- Stir in chopped sage, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mozzarella. Spoon 1 cup risotto into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons prosciutto. Sprinkle with black pepper. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.
The Simple Elements 