ESCAROLE & BEAN RISOTTO

I just picked my first head of escarole today! It was so incredibly mild and tender, I wish I had grown more. I'm going to give you my recipe as I have taught in my cooking classes but tonight I did something a little different. I had a beautiful fresh halibut and wanted something to really contrast the flavors, so...first I used cranberry beans instead of cannellini beans, then I used a dry red wine instead of white wine and beef broth instead of chicken. The stained rice looked great with the grilled halibut and the taste was great. This is just a really nice way to dress up such a simple and delightful dish. When I was young (long time ago!) my mother made escarole and bean soup, another quintessential Sicilian dish.

This dish is so good, you can eliminate the butter and cheese (use a buttery olive oil) and have light and refreshing low fat, gluten free meal. This is so good it can stand on it's own but makes a great side dish. Hard part, as a side dish you're not suppose to eat as much! I hope you'll give this a try, right now you can find escarole in the markets and Farmer's Market. If you don't always buy organic, this is a green that should be purchased organic. Make sure to wash your escarole at least twice or three times to get all the grit and dirt out. Buon Appetito!

RISOTTO WITH WHITE BEANS & ESCAROLE

6 Cups chicken broth

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Oz pancetta, finely chopped

1 Small onion, chopped

1 Stalk celery, chopped

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 ½ Cups Short grain rice, Arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano

1 Cup white wine

1 14 ½ oz jar cannellini beans, I prefer imported (or great northern)

(If you have the time prepare 1 cup dried white beans)

1 Head escarole, cleaned and chopped

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

½ Cup Romano or Parmesan, grated

Heat broth in saucepan to simmer, keep warm and covered. In large pot, heat oil over low heat. Add pancetta, cook until tender but not browned. Add onion, celery, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the parsley, cook until the vegetables are soft (4 to 6 minutes). Add rice and cook for 1 more minute. Raise heat to medium. Add white wine, cook, stirring occasionally (do not let rice stick or burn) until the liquid is just about all absorbed. Continue cooking and adding broth, about ¾ cups at a time. When rice starts to become creamy and tender, about 15 minutes, stir in escarole and continue ladling broth until the rice is completely tender and creamy. Add the beans and gently stir into the rice. Remove from heat and stir in butter and ¼ cup of the grated cheese. Cover and let stand for about 3 minutes. Serve on plates or bowls, garnish with remaining parsley and cheese.