White Bean Parmesan Risotto

A rare occurrence happened last week. Miss Yunks had time to make dinner during the week!

Earlier that week BF and I bought Brussels sprouts. Usually I buy Brussels sprouts in a bag or in a small paper cup; that day we bought them still on the stalk. I was curious to see if they would taste differently and thought risotto would be a perfect comfort food to pair with the sprouts. To get some protein in the meal, I added white beans and Parmesan cheese. The whole meal took about 40 minutes to prepare – not too bad for a weeknight!

White Bean and Parmesan Risotto

2 T olive oil
half a yellow onion, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
4 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

In a medium sized saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth and continuously stir until all liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth one cup at a time, stirring until all liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup.  After all 4 cups have been added and all liquid is absorbed, stir in the beans and Parmesan.

I served my risotto with roasted Brussels Sprouts topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. I cut the Brussels sprouts in half, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes.

The sprouts roasted to a finer crisp than sprouts I’ve bought off the stalk. They tasted fresher, too. On the stalk is definitely the way to go.

Creamy cannellini beans were perfect for this risotto, which came out very creamy.  Stirring is essential to make risotto perfectly creamy. Overall this meal was a weeknight winner.

What weeknight meals have you made lately?