Pesto-ish Risotto

Every fall, black swallowtail caterpillars takeover my backyard basil plants. I needed to make this basil-loaded dish before sharing my plants with them.

This risotto was rich, creamy, and hearty. The absolute highlight of the finished dish was the crispy garlic and pan-toasted pine nut topping. Loved it.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Christian Reynoso. I adapted the original recipe to prepare it in a pressure cooker. Easy and elegant.

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

• 4 T unsalted butter, divided
• 2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
• 5 to 8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 5 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup (4 T) raw pine nuts
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 1/2 cups (loosely packed) basil leaves (from 1 large bunch), torn into 1″ pieces
• shaved or finely grated Parmesan, for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• Parmesan rind, optional
• juice of 1/2 large lemon

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 5 or 7 quart pressure cooker over medium heat.
2. Add the rice and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until grains are partially translucent, about 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Add 2 cloves of garlic slices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add all of the unheated stock; stir.
5. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat.
6. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure. Cook for 7 minutes.
7. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions or place the pot under running cold water. (I used a quick release method.)
8. Carefully open the lid, being careful of the steam. The stock should be almost completely absorbed but the rice will be covered with a thick layer of milky broth. (more stock can be added at this point if the risotto appears too thick)
9. Meanwhile, cook the remaining 6 cloves of garlic slices, olive oil, and pine nuts in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to turn golden around edges. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring often, until pine nuts and garlic are golden, about 5 minutes.
10. Remove from heat; stir in turmeric and season with pepper, to taste. Set aside.
11. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan rind, if using, into the risotto. Season with salt, to taste.
12. Stir the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the risotto and add freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
13. Stir basil into risotto.
14. Ladle risotto, discarding the Parmesan rind, into shallow bowls. Top with garlic–pine nut oil and Parmesan. Serve.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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