Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 200 g broad beans, shelled
- 150 g runner beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested
Risotto Base
- 300 g arborio rice
- 120 ml dry white wine, room temperature
- 1200 ml vegetable stock
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 g unsalted butter
Finishing Ingredients
- 60 g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated
- sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 576 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 81 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1289 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 17 mg
- Potassium
- 494 mg
- Calcium
- 246 mg
- Iron
- 2.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 60 mg
- Phosphorus
- 242 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 154 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 28 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.19 mg
- Niacin
- 2.4 mg
- Folate
- 74 mcg
- Water
- 151 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare beans by bringing a small pot of salted water to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F. Blanch the broad beans and sliced runner beans for 3 minutes.
Transfer the beans using a slotted spoon into a prep bowl filled with an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain well, then gently squeeze the broad beans to remove their tough, opaque outer skins.
Heat vegetable stock in a medium saucepan until gently simmering around 90°C/195°F. Maintain this temperature over low heat throughout the entire cooking process.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir the minced garlic and arborio rice into the onion mixture using a wooden spoon. Toast the grains until the edges are translucent, about 2 minutes.
Pour the white wine into the pot. Stir constantly until the wine is fully absorbed by the rice.
Ladle about 150ml of the hot stock into the rice, stirring frequently until mostly absorbed. Repeat this process ladling and stirring for about 18 minutes.
Fold the prepared peeled broad beans and sliced runner beans into the rice during the final minute of cooking to warm them through.
Remove the pot entirely from the heat. Vigorously stir in the mascarpone, parmesan, and lemon zest to create a creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Allow the risotto to rest undisturbed in the pot for 2 minutes to settle before serving immediately in warm shallow bowls.
Chef's Notes
- Always keep your vegetable stock simmering in a separate pot. Adding cold stock to the pan drops the cooking temperature, which shocks the rice grains and prevents them from properly releasing their starch.
- Taking the time to double-pod the broad beans removes their slightly bitter, tough outer skin, revealing a brilliantly green, tender core that fundamentally transforms the elegance of the dish.
- The mantecatura is the final and most crucial step of risotto. Vigorously beating the mascarpone and parmesan into the rice completely off the heat is what emulsifies the fats with the starchy cooking liquid to create a creamy, wavy consistency.
- Wait to add the bulk of your salt until the very end. As the stock reduces and the aged cheese is added, the salt concentration naturally increases significantly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a generous splash of water or vegetable stock, stirring continuously to revive the creamy consistency.
Troubleshooting
Risotto is too thick, sticky, or stiff upon serving
Cause: Too much liquid evaporated during the finishing phase or the dish cooled too quickly
Fix: Stir in a splash of boiling water or hot stock immediately before serving until the rice flows easily again
Prevention: Reserve half a ladle of hot stock to fold in right before plating
Rice grains are mushy and lack a distinct bite
Cause: The rice was overcooked or stirred too aggressively after the grain fully absorbed the liquid
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Cool the mixture, form into balls, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry to make arancini.
Prevention: Begin tasting the rice after 15 minutes of cooking and stop adding liquid when the grain is al dente
Cultural Context
Risotto originates from the rice-growing regions of Northern Italy and serves as a classic canvas for seasonal produce. This variation celebrates late spring and summer harvests by highlighting the sweet, grassy flavors of broad beans and runner beans. The addition of mascarpone cheese is a modern touch that elevates the traditional parmesan finish, lending an exceptionally rich and velvety mouthfeel to the dish.
