SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO

Spring Vegetable Risotto image

Provided by Diane Phillips

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup medium-grain rice, such as Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone
Nonstick cooking spray
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 leek, tender white part only, finely chopped
1 cup packed baby spinach, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, wispy ends removed and finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, or dry vermouth
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (see Cooks' Note)
1 cup shelled English peas
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under a steady stream of cool water, stirring the grains. When the water runs clear, stop rinsing and shake the sieve to drain off excess water.
Coat the inside of a medium rice cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set the rice cooker to the regular cycle or to quick cook if it's a fuzzy-logic machine. Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter; add the garlic, leek, spinach, and fennel; and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leek is softened. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the rice and chicken broth and stir to distribute the ingredients.
Cover the rice cooker and reset to the regular cycle. Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, stir in the fava beans and peas. Cover and allow to steam for an additional 5 minutes on the keep-warm setting or with the machine turned off. (Many rice cookers, including all fuzzy-logic machines, do this automatically.) Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.