Roasted Beet Risotto

22Jun09

I have a habit of ordering risotto at almost every Italian restaurant I visit. You see, it began with butternut squash. Years ago when I first discovered how delicious this vegetable can be (and made even more amazing when paired with sage), I stumbled across a risotto recipe that has stuck with me since. It’s the risotto I love to make most often, and likely spurred all my other experiments with this cooking method.

Risotto wasn’t always my go-to meal when dining out. Things actually started with bruschetta, in college, when my husband and I  made some in my first apartment and then proceeded to order it in every restaurant that featured it on the menu. We had to find out favorite, of course. Now that I think about it, this was also the time when our restaurant bills climbed from say, $30 for two at Elephant Bar to almost $100 with appetizers and maybe a glass of wine.

Last month my parents came to town for my birthday and wanted to take us out to lunch. We chose Il Pastaio, a restaurant in Beverly Hills that looked busy whenever we walked by. That, we reasoned, must mean the locals know something we don’t. I wouldn’t exactly say I was amazed with the restaurant overall. I’m all for communal, trattoria dining, but the tables were a bit too close for comfort, especially on a warm Saturday afternoon. And the service was more noses-turned-up than friendly. But, they did have risotto. Red beet risotto with Goat cheese, to be exact. I was feeling adventurous, so it’s no surprise that about twenty minutes later my plate arrived, pink as your grandmother’s lipstick, staring me in the face. Hmmm. Was I about to have my first risotto regret?

The goat cheese was already melting into the rice, and our server came around with Parmesan cheese just as I was lifting the fork for my first bite. It’s a fact that I’ve only recently discovered beets. You might remember me ooohing and aaahing over a certain soup several weeks back. I couldn’t believe how good it tasted. The goat cheese, especially, added a tartness against the earthy beet flavor, and the parsley was the perfect bite of freshness. My mind instantly beamed with ways I could create this whimsical dish at home. And when I strolled through the Thursday farmer’s market outside my office and saw a bunch of beets selling for $1, dinner was decided.

Roasted Beet Risotto

In reading reviews for other beet risotto recipes, one of the most common complaints was lack of flavor. I believe this can be remedied by using appropriate amounts of salt, infusing the puree into the stock (instead of adding beet chunks at the end of cooking), and the extra bonus of goat cheese, plus a bit of Parmesan for good measure. And don’t forget to garnish it with parsley. The freshness really adds a lot, and isn’t just for looks in this dish.

Recipe inspired by Il Pastaio

Ingredients
3 medium beets (1 1/2 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl oz)
3 cups water
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice (14 oz)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 oz. goat cheese
Garnish: Parmigiano-Reggiano and finely minced parsley

Directions
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then quarter.
 Reserve one quarter, chopped,  for garnish. Place the rest of the beets in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.

 Add beet puree and stir to combine.

Cook onion in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 18 to 22 minutes.

Toss in butter and Parmesan and stir vigorously until butter is melted and rice is extra creamy. Stir in reserved beets and beet puree. Turn off heat.

To serve, ladle risotto into low bowls or plates. Add a thinly sliced piece of goat cheese in the center of dish, lightly pressing down so it begins to melt. Sprinkle with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Also, a little drizzle of olive oil won’t hurt anybody.

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