Creamy risotto made with fresh cranberry beans comes from the Lombardy region of Italy. With traditional flavors from the region, this risotto is bursting with flavor and healthy goodness. Cranberry beans are also called borlotti beans. They are considered 'the poor man's meat' due to their nutritional value.
Ingredients
- vegetable broth: 6 cups
- ounces fresh cranberry beans, shelled: 18 piece
- olive oil: 3 Tbsp
- butter: 3 Tbsp
- onion: 1 piece (diced)
- clove garlic: 1 piece (minced)
- sprig fresh rosemary: 1 piece
- bay leaf: 1 piece (fresh)
- sprig fresh sage: 1 piece
- ¼ cups uncooked carnaroli rice: 1 piece
- dry white wine: 0.5 cup
- tomato sauce: 0.75 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Pour vegetable broth into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add fresh cranberry beans and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are soft but not mushy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove beans with a slotted spoon, leaving the vegetable broth over the heat source on medium-low.
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Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, whole rosemary sprig, bay leaf, and sage. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add rice and stir to toast the rice, 2 to 3 minutes. Once rice is toasted, add drained beans and stir until well coated.
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Add white wine and stir until wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Add tomato sauce and stir until creamy and thick. This whole process will take about 18 minutes.
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Remove risotto from the heat source and let stand for 2 minutes. Remove rosemary twig, bay leaf, and sage and serve.
