Ally

by Silvana Franco

The creamy texture of cannellini beans lend themselves beautifully to this delicious risotto by Silvana Franco

* Servings: 6
* Level of difficulty: Intermediate
* Preparation Time: 5 minutes
* Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 tbsp Olive oil
* 1 large red onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
* 4 sprigs Thyme
* 500g Risotto rice
* 200ml dry white wine
* 1 litre hot vegetable stock
* 800g canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion, garlic and thyme for 5 minutes until softened. Add the rice, stir for a few seconds then pour in the wine.

2. Bubble rapidly until the wine evaporates, then slowly add the stock in batches, letting the rice absorb the liquid each time before adding more. Add the beans about halfway through - keep the heat fairly high and the whole process should take about 20 minutes.

3. Season with pepper. Once all the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are soft and creamy, divide the risotto between bowls. Top each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper and serve swiftly.