RECIPE: Roasted Beet Risotto

Makes 6-8 side dish servings.

Ingredients:

3 medium beets (1.5 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached

3.5 cups chicken broth (28 fl oz)

3 cups water

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups Arborio rice (14 oz)

½ cup dry white wine

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (½ cup)

Garnish: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, made with vegetable peeler

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Tightly wrap beets in foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 75-90 minutes. Cool to warm in foil packages, about 20 minutes. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into ½ - inch cubes.

2. While beets are cooling, bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.

3. Cook onion in oil in a wide 4-6 quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, ½ - cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 18-22 minutes. (Reserve leftover broth.)

4. Stir in beets, salt, and pepper (mixture will turn bright pink) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with some of leftover broth, then stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Submitted by Stephanie Leonard