Some recipes are seasonal because some of the ingredients are. Nettle risotto falls into this category, ever had it?
🌿It is a seasonal dish because nettles are harvested in spring and fall, when the leaves are more tender and suitable for use in cooking.
Be careful not to prick yourself, so
- you must wear gloves to protect your hands from the stinging plant hairs
- scissors or a knife should be used to cut the younger tops without touching them directly
- arrived home, blanch the leaves to remove the stinging effect
Ingredients for nettle risotto (for 4 people) 🍚
- 320 g of rice
- 400 g fresh nettles
- 30 g of extra virgin olive oil
- 50 ml white wine
- 100 g leeks
- 1 liter of vegetable broth
- 40 g of butter
- Parmesan cheese q.b.
Procedure:
Prepare the vegetable broth.
Cook the nettles: heat a little oil in a pan, add the nettles and wilt them with a little water. Blend them until smooth.
Prepare risotto: sauté chopped leek with oil, add rice and toast it. Deglaze with white wine.
Cook the risotto: add the broth to the rice, a little at a time, stirring. After 5 minutes, add the nettle cream and continue cooking.
Add pine nuts: toast them before adding them to the risotto. They will give crispness to the dish.
Mantecare: at the end of cooking, turn off the heat, add butter and mix well.
Serve: plate and top with grated cheese.
It is the pairing with the right wine that brings out the best in this simple dish of peasant tradition.
We pair the nettle risotto with pinot noir vinified in white from our winery.
🥂Praderais a sparkling white wine, delicate and with good persistence, suitable for risottos with delicate but distinct flavors, such as the slightly herbaceous one reminiscent of the arugula or spinach in this recipe.
That pleasant feeling of mild resistance that toasted pine nuts produce and the effervescence of Pradera also have a sensory similarity on the palate that makes good companions to this dish and this wine.
Nettle risotto – image is generated with AI
Pinot Noir vinified in white – Francesco Maggi Winery
