I may have mentioned that I have what my family calls “Movie Tourettes,” a strange ability to remember, verbatim, dialogue from movies. So forgive me when I quote Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias who said, “I’m busier than a one-armed paper-hanger!” And “I don’t know whether to scratch my watch or wind my butt.”
That’s my way of saying I’m ridiculously busy. So making a quick dinner that also meets my fairly high expectations for myself was my aim.
INSTRUCTIONS: Stare into the open refrigerator and pick a random vegetable or two, and a protein if you have any. My three were some leftover mushrooms, wilting broccoli, and a few lone pieces of pancetta. Mix with rice. Dinner. Though I have to admit, this was a great (lucky) combination.
I used my Instant Pot pressure cooker because, as I mentioned, time is a bit of an issue these days. But I have a stovetop and pressure cooker method listed.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cups short grain rice i.e. Arborio
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
1/2 cup cooked sliced mushrooms
handful of cubed pancetta
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
METHOD
Stovetop method:
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the rice and toast for about a minute or so, making sure the grains are coated.
Add the mushrooms, broccoli and pancetta and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups of broth, and cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue adding the remaining stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring often and adding each addition when the liquid is nearly all absorbed. This should take about 25 minutes.
Pressure cooker method:
Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker insert with the multi cooker set on the sauté function. Add onion, mushrooms, pancetta and garlic, and cooker about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the rice and toast for about a minute or so, making sure the grains are coated.
Stir in all the broth and the broccoli and cover with the valve set to “pressure” and cook on the “Risotto” setting for 6 minutes.
Depressurize the pressure cooker.
While the risotto is cooking:
.
To finish the risotto:
Stir the broccoli into the risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley, thyme, butter, and top with cheese.
