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Ramp risotto with lemon & hazelnuts

Ramp Risotto with Lemon & Hazelnuts

8
Points®
Total Time
55 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Moderate
While classic risotto is loaded with cheese, this one is loaded with ramp flavor because the ramp purée is stirred in— it’s actually a wonderful way to cut down on the fat without sacrificing flavor. If you've never used them before, ramps are wild onions harvested in North America in late April through early summer. If you can’t find any, as their season can be rather short, you could swap scallions in their place. This risotto also features a delicious combination of leeks, fresh thyme, white wine, cream cheese, hazelnuts, and chives. You'll have to do quite a bit of stirring to get that perfectly creamy consistency, but the end result and taste are well worth it.

Ingredients

Fresh ramps

6 oz, trimmed (or trimmed scallion greens)

Extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp, divided

Fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth

6 cup(s)

Uncooked leeks

1 medium, trimmed, halved, sliced (white & light green parts only)

Garlic

1 clove(s), chopped

Fresh thyme

1 tsp, chopped, plus 2 sprigs

Kosher salt

½ tsp, (plus extra to taste)

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground (plus extra to taste)

Uncooked arborio rice

1½ cup(s)

White wine

⅓ cup(s), dry variety

Low fat cream cheese

1 Tbsp

Lemon zest

1 tsp, grated

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

¼ cup(s), finely grated

Hazelnuts, whole

¼ cup(s), toasted, chopped (1 1/2 oz)

Chives

2 Tbsp, chopped

Instructions

  1. Set out a medium bowl of ice water.
  2. Bring salted water to a boil in a medium Dutch oven. Add ramps (or scallions) and cook until just wilted and bright green, 1 minute; transfer with slotted spoon to ice water to stop cooking, 2-3 minutes. Drain; squeeze out any extra moisture.
  3. In a blender, puree ramps (or scallions) and 1 tsp oil until smooth; set aside.
  4. Heat broth in a medium saucepan over very low heat; keep warm while you prepare risotto.
  5. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat; add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 2 minutes. Add garlic, chopped thyme and thyme sprigs, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute more. Add rice; cook, stirring, until it toasts slightly, 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until it is fully absorbed, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add 1 c warm broth to Dutch oven; cook, stirring constantly, until rice almost fully absorbs broth. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, until all has been added, and rice is tender but still slightly al dente, 20 minutes.
  7. Stir in ramp (or scallion) puree, cream cheese and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove thyme sprigs, then serve sprinkled with Parmesan, nuts and chives.
  8. Serving size: 1 c

Notes

This recipe is originally from Lidia Bastianich

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