The ingredients in this risotto—arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and ricotta salata—are typical of the southern region of Puglia. Ricotta salata is a firm cheese made by pressing and drying fresh ricotta; if it is not available, substitute mild goat cheese or feta. I prefer to buy sun-dried tomatoes in their dry state, since the marinated ones often have too much seasoning. But if they are not available, use marinated—just rinse them well under warm water and blot them dry first.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 cups Rich Vegetable Broth or chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (see headnote),
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup short-grain rice, such as Arborio
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup crumbled ricotta salata
- 1 cup chopped arugula
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a medium saucepan, bring the broth just to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat to low to keep warm. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and add ½ cup of the broth.
- In a large wide saucepan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the scallions and cook for 3 minutes, or until tender. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the rice, and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes, or until the rice is hot.
- Add the warm broth about ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently after each addition and waiting until each one is almost absorbed before adding more. Regulate the heat so that the liquid remains at a simmer and the rice does not dry out. After about 10 minutes, stir in the tomatoes and their broth and continue cooking and adding broth. If you run out of broth before the risotto is done, add warm water.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. The risotto is ready when it is firm yet tender to the bite and looks creamy, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the ricotta salata until melted, then stir in the arugula.
- Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and serve.
