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Rustic image of Risotto alla Marchigiana from the Marche region of Italy

Risotto alla Marchiagiana

Risotto alla Marchigiana is a delcious risotto delicately flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, and finished off with a sugo finto tomato sauce.
Servings 4 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Equipment

  • Chef Knife
  • Food Processor
  • 2 Saucepans Pan
  • Large wide heavy bottomed pan
  • Spatula
  • Ladle

Ingredients

Sugo finto ('fake sauce')

  • 1 medium medium onion roughly chopped
  • 1 stick celery roughly chopped
  • 1 medium carrot roughly chopped
  • bunch flat leaf parsley leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 5 sage leaves
  • 1 sprig rosemary leaves picked
  • 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 50 ml red wine
  • 400 grams Chopped tomatoes (tinned)
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Risotto

  • 75 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion very finely chopped
  • 300 grams Carnaroli rice or Arborio rice
  • 125 ml dry white wine such as Verdicchio or Pinot Grigio
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1 lemon juiced and zested
  • 100 grams parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 litre chicken stock

Instructions

Sugo finto ('fake sauce')

  • Put the onion, celery, carrot and herbs in the food processor. Pulse to make a fine paste.
  • Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Then add the paste and a teaspoon of salt and sauté it for 5-6 minutes until it loses all its moisture.
  • Add the red wine to the pan and cook until the red wine has has reduced and the mixture has started to dry out. Keep stirring to prevent sticking.
  • Add the tomatoes and some pepper, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. if the mixture does dry out, add a tbsp or two of water or chicken stock.

Risotto

  • Add the chicken stock into a pan and bring to a simmer. Then keep warm on the stove until needed.
  • Heat a wide heavy bottomed pan on a low heat then add the butter and the olive oil. When the butter has almost melted, add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 6-8 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add the carnaroli rice and cook in the onion for 2-3 minutes to allow the grains to 'toast'.
  • Raise to a medium heat and add the dry white wine and stir until the wine has evaporated.
  • Add one ladle of chicken stock and stir continuously until the stock has been absorbed into the rice. Use a spatula to keep all the rice off the sides of the pan. Repeat this step for 18 minutes or until all the stock has been absorbed. The rice should be creamy and al dente.
  • After 10 minutes add the cinnamon, lemon juice and lemon zest to the rice.
  • When the rice is al dente add the grated parmesan cheese and a knob of butter and stir until both have melted into the risotto.
  • Finish by adding 3-4 tablespoons of the sugo finto to the risotto. Taste the risotto and add more sugo finto to taste. Then serve.

Notes

Stir any left over sugo finto with some pasta for a quick and tasty pasta dish.