Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
25 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Intermediate
Season
Summer
Serves
4
Have you ever seen broccolini at the store or farmer's market? It has long, slender stems with small clusters of florets. Although some believe it’s just a young plant picked early, it’s actually a hybrid of broccoli and chinese broccoli, gai lan. If you grow any variety of Brassica oleracea at home, this recipe is an excellent use for those shoots that pop up after harvesting the main crown.
A quick sauté will keep the broccolini texture snappy but still tender. I cook it in oil from sun-dried tomatoes to add savoriness, and it pairs with the creamy lemon-garlic risotto wonderfully. If protein is desired, grilled pheasant, turkey, or sauteed fish are great options.
Ingredients
Lemon Risotto
- ¼ cup butter, chopped
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 lemon, zested
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Broccolini
- 2 small bunches of broccolini
- 2 tbsp. oil from sun-dried tomato jar for cooking
- 3 tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
- Salt to taste
- Aleppo or red chili flakes to garnish (optional)
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Pour the broth into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and keep warm.
- Heat a wide pot over medium heat. When hot, drop in the chopped butter. Once it starts to foam, sweat the shallots and garlic until soft and fragrant. Crumble the dried rosemary leaves between your fingers to crush. Sprinkle it over the aromatics.
- Stir in the arborio rice until incorporated and toasted. Using a ladle, pour in half a cup of warm broth into the rice. Keep the heat on medium and stir. When the rice has soaked up the liquid, pour another half cup in and keep stirring. Repeat this process until the rice has absorbed all of the broth and is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep warm.
- Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt to taste.
Broccolini
- Prep the broccolini for cooking by cutting in half. Then slice the bottom portion of the stems into small coins.
- While the risotto is cooking, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. Once the oil is hot, add the broccolini and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Flash sear so that the outsides brown then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover with a lid to steam. Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes until tender, but still retains a snappy texture. Season with salt to taste and a sprinkle with aleppo or red pepper flakes if desired. Serve with the lemon risotto.
Broccolini and Lemon Risotto
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
25 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Intermediate
Season
Summer
Serves
4
Have you ever seen broccolini at the store or farmer's market? It has long, slender stems with small clusters of florets. Although some believe it’s just a young plant picked early, it’s actually a hybrid of broccoli and chinese broccoli, gai lan. If you grow any variety of Brassica oleracea at home, this recipe is an excellent use for those shoots that pop up after harvesting the main crown.
A quick sauté will keep the broccolini texture snappy but still tender. I cook it in oil from sun-dried tomatoes to add savoriness, and it pairs with the creamy lemon-garlic risotto wonderfully. If protein is desired, grilled pheasant, turkey, or sauteed fish are great options.
Ingredients
Lemon Risotto
- ¼ cup butter, chopped
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 lemon, zested
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Broccolini
- 2 small bunches of broccolini
- 2 tbsp. oil from sun-dried tomato jar for cooking
- 3 tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
- Salt to taste
- Aleppo or red chili flakes to garnish (optional)
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Pour the broth into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and keep warm.
- Heat a wide pot over medium heat. When hot, drop in the chopped butter. Once it starts to foam, sweat the shallots and garlic until soft and fragrant. Crumble the dried rosemary leaves between your fingers to crush. Sprinkle it over the aromatics.
- Stir in the arborio rice until incorporated and toasted. Using a ladle, pour in half a cup of warm broth into the rice. Keep the heat on medium and stir. When the rice has soaked up the liquid, pour another half cup in and keep stirring. Repeat this process until the rice has absorbed all of the broth and is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep warm.
- Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt to taste.
Broccolini
- Prep the broccolini for cooking by cutting in half. Then slice the bottom portion of the stems into small coins.
- While the risotto is cooking, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. Once the oil is hot, add the broccolini and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Flash sear so that the outsides brown then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover with a lid to steam. Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes until tender, but still retains a snappy texture. Season with salt to taste and a sprinkle with aleppo or red pepper flakes if desired. Serve with the lemon risotto.