Risotto Bolognese

Most often thought of as something to serve with pasta, Bolognese sauce makes a delicious risotto too.

I first had this a few years ago on a family holiday to Florence. Tucked away in the corner of Piazza San Lorenzo we sat in a simple little restaurant where we ended up having the best meal on our trip. This is not a fancy restaurant dish, its home style cooking, but in Italy (and pretty much everywhere when you think about it) all the most memorable meals are.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the restaurant I ate it at, but I can vividly remember sitting there, having my first mouthful and wondering why I hadn’t thought of combining bolognese and risotto before.

Making the bolognese sauce (recipe here) is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, so it’s a good idea to make this when you have extra sauce in the fridge or freezer from another day. You only need 1 1/2 cups of sauce, so if you’re making the sauce especially for this recipe, freeze the rest to make another meal.

Risotto Bolognese

Risotto made with Bolognese sauce is comforting and delicious.

Easiest made with pre-made Bolognese sauce (leftovers from another meal or made the day before). Recipe to make the Bolognese included, but you only need 1 1/2 cups (less than half) - so if making especially, use the rest for another meal the next day, use to make lasagne, or freeze.

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Servings: 1

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ L beef stock (store bought or homemade)
• 1 ½ cups Bolognese sauce (recipe follows)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ brown onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely sliced
• 3 bacon rashers, rindless, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small handful basil leaves, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, grates, extra, for serving

Bolognese Sauce (makes more than you need)

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 brown onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely sliced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 kg regular beef mince
• salt
• 3 tbsp dried oregano
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 x 400 g tins crushed tomatoes
• 700 g tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small handful basil leaves, finely chopped

Method

 

1. Put the stock in a saucepan and heat until simmering. Keep warm.
2. Put the 1 ½ cups of bolognese sauce in another pot and heat on medium heat until hot. Reduce heat, cover and keep warm.
3. In a non-stick sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, celery and bacon. Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
5. Add the rice all at once and stir to coat in the oil, about one minute.
6. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Keep doing this a cupful at a time, stirring every now and then, until the rice is al dente (meaning cooked, but still with a little bite). You may not need all the liquid. Cooking the risotto will take around 20 minutes. Don’t let the risotto absorb all the liquid at the end; you want it to be fluid and moist.
7. Remove from the heat, add the butter and Parmesan and fold in with a wooden spoon. This gives the risotto creaminess and richness.
8. Now fold in the hot bolognese sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. 
9. Add the fresh basil and stir through.
10. Spoon into bowls and top with extra grated Parmesan.

To make the Bolognese Sauce

1. Tip the olive oil into a large heavy based pot and put on a medium heat.
2. Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until onions are translucent.
3. Add the garlic and sauté a further minute.
4. Turn heat to high, and add the mince. Stir and cook until mince is browned.
5. Add a good pinch of salt, the oregano, and a few turns of freshly ground pepper and stir to combine.
6. Add the water, tinned tomatoes, passata, bay leaves and basil. Stir to combine.
7. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 2 hours.
8. Remove lid, turn heat to medium and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
9. Taste and season with salt as necessary.
10. Remove the bay leaves before using.
11. The sauce can be sealed and refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for 3 months.

Recipe from my book – Easy Home Cooking Italian Style, New Holland Publishers Images – Jonathan VDK