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Eat like you’re on vacation in Milan!
Once upon a time, there was a modern Italian cuisine restaurant in Milan called Essenza. It earned a Michelin star in 2017, but sadly, it has since closed. Fortunately, Eugenio Boer, the owner and head chef, shared the recipe for Essenza’s popular Immunity-boosting Summer Pesto Risotto, and I had to give it a try because it looked so unique. However, there was one problem… his recipe called for ingredients not readily available in the United States, such as Nettles and two types of Italian goat cheeses (Tronchetto di capra and Caprino). Another issue I ran into when trying to make the original version, was that everything was measured in grams, so it took a little longer for me to measure everything out. Luckily for you, I’ve provided substitutions for some ingredients, links to where you can buy unique ingredients, and easy-to-follow measurements.
I hope you love this dish as much as I did!
The Original:
My Copycat Version:
For this recipe, there are a few things I’d like to point out before you dive in:
- Caranoli Rice is the real deal if you want to have superior quality risotto as if you were in Italy. It’s the kind of rice used in fine dining restaurants, although it’s not very common to find in US grocery stores. Instead, Aborio rice is typically on the shelves, which I’ve read does not produce as creamy of texture as Caranoli. Here is the brand I bought off Amazon, which had the best reviews out of the Caranoli rice brands available:
- Nettles are considered an invasive weed, which grow all throughout the world in nitrogen-rich soil and they can be found alongside shaded trails and streams. They bloom between June and September and usually reach 2 to 4 feet high. But did you know for hundreds of years they have been sought after to treat muscle aches, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia? They have a peppery, spinach-like taste and like spinach, it’s packed with nutrients that help boost immunity.
For this recipe, I substituted other ingredients in for Nettles that have similar taste and health benefits. Nettle alternatives include beet greens, arugula, dandelion leaves, Thai basil, watercress, and mustard leaves.
- Bee Pollen is another ingredient that provides a boost to immune strength. It also has been known to help alleviate allergy symptoms and provide energy. Here’s where you can get some:
- “Blanching” is essentially giving your greens an ice bath to retain the bright green color. If I don’t care what my food looks like then I skip this step, but if you take pictures of your food like I do, then this is an important step to ensure they remain vibrant after cooking. Just put your greens in a bowl, fill with ice and water, then drain and dry with a paper towel.
- “Deglazing” is a term that was used in the original recipe that I had to look up. It’s when you pour some cold liquid into a very hot pan to get up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom to release. For this recipe, you deglaze the pan after toasting the rice, although when I made this, nothing was sticking to the bottom of the pan since I had been stirring it the whole time.
Immunity-Boosting Summer Risotto
Ingredients
Pesto
- 800 grams leafy greens Fill up your biggest salad bowl to the brim with chopped greens to use, such as beet greens, arugula, dandelion leaves, Thai basil, watercress, or mustard leaves. Discard the stems. 800 grams is equivalent to about three or four bunches. I suggest selecting a variety of leafy greens to give your pesto a complex flavor.
- 2 4oz goat cheese logs Get honey flavored goat cheese if you can find it
- 3/4 cup (20ml) of whipping cream
- cracked pepper
- hymalayan sea salt
Risotto
- 1/2 cup (130g) butter
- 1 32oz box of vegetable stock
- 2 cups (360g) of Carnaroli risotto rice
- 1/2 cup (100ml) of white wine
- 1 cup (100g) of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Risotto Toppings
- bee pollen (1 tsp per serving)
- lavender flowers (1 tsp per serving)
- cracked pepper
- hymalayan sea salt
- honey
Instructions
To make the pesto sauce…
- To begin, wash and pick the greens, discarding the stems.Blanch and refresh the leaves then drain in a colander with a weight on top to remove as much moisture as possible.Once dry, blend the leaves in a food processor with some salt and pepper.Mix in the goat’s cheese logs and whipping cream until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
To make the risotto…
- Toast the rice in a pan with salt and pepper then deglaze with the white wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and adding the vegetable stock a ladle at a time. Wait for each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.Once the rice is cooked through but still al dente, stir in the butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Add the pesto mixture, then season to taste.
To top the dish off…
- Drizzle honey over each serving then sprinkle the bee pollen and lavender flowers on top. Garnish with a piece of basil. Presto!
Did you make this Immunity-boosting Summer Pesto Risotto?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #eatlikeyoureonvacation.
Want more Italian food and drink ideas?
CHECK OUT MY ULTIMATE ITALIAN-THEMED STAYCATION BUCKETLIST FOR FOODIES! THE BUCKETLIST INCLUDES:
1. LEARN TO COOK LIKE AN ITALIAN, WITH AN ITALIAN—VIRTUALLY
2. LEARN THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF ITALIAN DINING ETIQUETTE AND CULTURAL NORMS
3. LEARN ABOUT REGIONAL ITALIAN FOOD
4. PARTICIPATE IN A VIRTUAL WINE TASTING
5. TRANSFORM YOUR DINING SPACE’S AMBIANCE
6. MAKE AN ICONIC ITALIAN APÉRITIF7. MASTER HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN ANTIPASTO PLATTER
8. MAKE AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISH YOU’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE
9. MAKE YOUR OWN GELATO
10. MAKE LIMONCELLO FROM SCRATCH
11. EMBRACE AL FRESCO ITALIAN DINING MADE SIMPLE. GO ON A PICNIC!
12. GO SOUVENIR SHOPPING FROM AFAR
