Equipment
Ingredients
The Beans
- 150 g fresh broad beans, podded weight
- 150 g runner beans, stringed and sliced diagonally
Risotto Base
- 1200 ml vegetable stock, hot
- 30 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 30 g unsalted butter, divided into two 15g portions
- 100 g banana shallots, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 300 g arborio rice
- 120 ml dry white wine
Finishing Touches (Mantecatura)
- 60 g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 lemon, zested
- 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped
- g fine sea salt
- g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 598 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 81 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1382 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 25 mg
- Potassium
- 503 mg
- Calcium
- 250 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 58 mg
- Phosphorus
- 236 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 183 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 23 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.18 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 2.2 mg
- Folate
- 66 mcg
- Water
- 130 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pour the vegetable stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer at 90°C/195°F over low heat. Keep it warm throughout the cooking process.
Drop the podded broad beans into boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Once cool, pinch each bean to slip off and discard the tough, pale outer skin.
Add the sliced runner beans to the same boiling water for 3 minutes until just tender-crisp. Transfer to the ice water to halt cooking, then drain completely and set aside with the prepared broad beans.
In the wide heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and 15g of the butter over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and sweat for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Increase the heat slightly and add the arborio rice to the pan. Stir continuously for 2 minutes to toast the grains until the edges turn translucent and the center remains opaque.
Pour in the white wine. Stir vigorously and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze, cooking until the liquid has completely evaporated and the alcohol scent has dissipated.
Begin adding the hot stock one ladleful at a time. Stir frequently to coax out the starches, allowing each addition of stock to be mostly absorbed before adding the next. Continue this process for about 18 to 20 minutes.
When the rice is al dente and has a loose, flowing consistency, fold in the blanched broad beans and runner beans. Cook for 1 minute just to warm the vegetables through.
Remove the pan entirely from the heat. Vigorously beat in the mascarpone, grated vegetarian parmesan, remaining 15g of butter, lemon zest, and chopped mint. This step, known as mantecatura, emulsifies the fats and starches into a rich sauce.
Taste and adjust seasoning with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. If the risotto has tightened up too much, stir in a final splash of hot stock to loosen. Ladle immediately into warm, shallow bowls.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to perfect risotto lies in the mantecatura phase. Beating cold fats into the hot, starchy rice off the heat creates a stable emulsion that yields a glossy, restaurant-quality finish.
- Do not skip heating your vegetable stock. Adding cold stock drops the temperature of the pan, shocking the grain and causing the exterior to turn mushy before the interior can cook.
- Runner beans can be quite fibrous if they are large. Ensure you remove the tough strings running down the seams before slicing.
- If vegetarian compliance is critical, check your cheese label carefully. Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano legally requires animal rennet, so you must specifically source a vegetarian hard cheese alternative.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or stock to restore creaminess.
Reheating: Stovetop over low heat with additional liquid
Troubleshooting
Risotto is mushy and sticky rather than creamy
Cause: Rice was overcooked or stirred too aggressively after it fully softened
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Stop adding liquid and remove from heat while the rice still has a distinct bite in the center. The residual heat will finish the cooking.
Broad beans are tough and bitter
Cause: The pale outer skin of the broad bean was not removed after the initial blanching
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always double-pod mature broad beans by slipping off the skin to reveal the sweet, bright green cotyledon inside.
Risotto is too thick and clumpy on the plate
Cause: Too much liquid evaporated during the mantecatura phase or it sat too long before serving
Fix: Vigorously stir in 30 to 60 ml of hot stock or water right before plating to loosen the emulsion.
Prevention: Ensure a loose, wavy consistency before removing from heat, and serve immediately.
Cultural Context
Risotto is a cornerstone of Northern Italian cuisine, originally a humble peasant dish designed to stretch small amounts of seasonal produce and dairy. Incorporating spring and early summer legumes like broad beans (fave) transforms the hearty winter staple into a vibrant, seasonal celebration that highlights the agricultural shift in the Italian countryside.
