I had half of a beet, puréed, leftover from the harissa paste I made yesterday. Since there are no infants in the house and all the adults have teeth, I had to find some other use for it. I finally decided to incorporate the beet purée in a risotto. The beets imparted a mild sweetness and beautiful pink color to the rice. I roasted some more red beets and added them as well for a texture contrast. I flavored the dish with rosemary from the garden and topped it with some ricotta salata.
Leftover ingredients can be a great way to test out new dishes. What I often do is combine the ingredient with a basic dish, such as risotto in this case, and couple it with complementary flavors that work well with the ingredient in other recipes. This way, chances are the new dish you’ve created will taste delicious. The real trick is knowing really well a few recipes that are easy to modify.
1. Info for Rosemary Roasted Beet Risotto with Ricotta Salata Cheese
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 10
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Rosemary Roasted Beet Risotto with Ricotta Salata Cheese
- 4 beets
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 cups melon-seed shaped pasta
- 4 cups Arborio rice
- 12 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, warm
- 1 cup water, warm, as needed
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese powder (see tips)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 3 teaspoons mushroom seasoning salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (about 1 sprig)
- 4 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons dill, chopped
3. Directions:
- In a small saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and the finely chopped rosemary. Stir the mixture over low heat for about 3-4 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has almost evaporated. Transfer to a mortar and pestle (or mini-blender) and pound (or blend) the mixture into a coarse puree. Add about 2 tablespoons of water if the mixture is too thick. Add a tablespoon of dill. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash the beets. Scrub them under tap water. Remember to trim off a little piece from the ends of the root. Cut into thirds, horizontally. No need to peel the beets. Once they are roasted, the peels will rub right off.
- Place in a large bowl. Add the rosemary purée. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Toss well. Wrap each beet (3 pieces) in aluminum foil. Place the 4 aluminum wrappers on a baking sheet.
- Roast for about 50-55 minutes. Let the beets cool for about 20-30 minutes. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, wipe the skins off using paper towels.
- Peel and dice the beets into 1-inch cubes. In a mortar and pestle (or a mini-blender), crush about 1/2 cup of beets into a coarse purée. Add about 2 tablespoons of water if the mixture is too thick.
- For the beet risotto: In a deep saucepan, sauté the minced garlic cloves in the remaining oil until golden. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and add the shallots; stir until light golden. Add the pasta and rice. The butter should coat all the grains. Add 1-1/2 cups of warm broth. Stir constantly.
- After bringing the liquid to a boil, add parmesan cheese powder and lower the heat to medium-low for about 15 to 20 minutes. Season with mushroom powder and a tablespoon of dill. Check the liquid and periodically add 1/4 cup of stock when all the liquid is absorbed. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
- When the rice is almost cooked, add the puréed beets to give the rice a nice color; add the rest of the butter. Adjust the seasoning with more salt (if necessary) and pepper. Stir well. Add the remaining roasted diced beets. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle more dill, garnish with crumbled ricotta salata and serve immediately.
- Bon appétit!
