Sage Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto

This past weekend, my husband and I were lucky enough to escape just the two of us to the cabin for a long weekend. It’s pretty rare to get my husband away for a whole weekend and not work (okay, we may have worked for a few hours) But, at least it was sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine. One of my favorite things to do up at the cabin is plan fabulous meals for us while we are there. It’s the perfect place to indulge in food, and spend time cooking. I’ve said this before…but it relaxes me…and I REALLY needed to relax this weekend! One of my favorite things to make is risotto. Typically, people are afraid of making a risotto. I hear all the time that it seems intimidating, and that they are worried they will mess up the texture. In my opinion, they are one of the easiest dishes to make, and they are always satisfying. This weekend I decided to make one of my classic favorites, that I’ve been making for a few years now. The flavors in this one are incredible…with little melted pockets of mozzarella cheese, salty prosciutto and savory sage…it doesn’t get better than this! Oh…and you use wine. 🙂

I posted this recipe awhile back, but, I had a conversation with a friend a few hours ago that inspired me to post it again. She is just starting to get into cooking and is trying to make a meal or two a week on her own. She is one of those lucky ones whose husband is the head chef in the house! Being that this recipe is so easy, I thought she might want to give it a try the next time it’s her turn to cook. My sister in law had also recently mentioned that risotto was intimidating…so I hope that this post helps you ladies learn a new recipe! I also took some photos while cooking at the cabin…still learning how to use the new camera 🙂 Enjoy!

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
• 4  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. I like to use a Le Creuset braiser, I find the enameled pans work really well with risottos.
• Add the chopped leek and garlic to the butter; cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the uncooked Arborio 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. Take note of the amazing aroma you just created!

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 the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20-25 minutes total). Test the rice along the way.
• The risotto is done, when it’s soft (but not mushy) with a slight bite, as if you were cooking a pasta al dente.
• Stir in chopped sage, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mozzarella. Spoon the risotto into bowls; top each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons prosciutto. Sprinkle with black pepper. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.