Earthy Roasted Beet Risotto Recipe

Creamy risotto has all of the luxurious textures and flavors of a gourmet dish while simultaneously being a simple, cozy meal you can prep at home. Recipe developer Leah Maroney's addition of beets to the classic risotto is simply stunning — the earthy, slightly sweet flavor pops, and the deep red color provides a sure-fire "wow" factor.

Making risotto can be a daunting task because it requires your full attention for 20 minutes of stirring! But despite this bit of effort, making risotto is not all that complicated. We've outlined a few simple tricks to make the risotto a huge success.

You can serve this dish for a first or second course at a dinner party — or let the dish truly shine as a main course alongside your favorite succulent protein. Roasted leg of lamb or balsamic flank steak are excellent choices that will complement the flavor and complexity of the risotto. A lemony kale salad is also an exquisite pairing to this rich yet bright dish. Any way you serve it, this risotto is sure to impress.

Beet risotto starts with beets, of course. We are using raw, red beets. However, if you're looking for some shortcuts, you can use pre-roasted beets. If you are roasting; add salt, pepper, and olive oil to accentuate the flavor of the beets. Red wine is blended with some of the roasted beets to help infuse more color into the dish. We like to use a nice, rich Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can use any full-bodied red wine. Then, you'll need butter, shallots, and garlic. Once they're sauteed, the arborio rice is added. You cannot substitute another rice (unless it is in the same rice family as arborio, such as carnaroli). Arborio has a special starch quotient that creates the creaminess in the dish. Then, you'll need vegetable broth to finish cooking the rice. You can also use chicken broth or beef broth, but we're keeping things vegetarian here. Finally, the dish is finished with more butter, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Thoroughly wash the beets and remove the greens.

Place the beets on a baking sheet and coat with ½ teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, and olive oil.

Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until fork tender.

Peel the beets.

Chop two of the beets into small, ¼ inch cubes.

Blend the remaining beet with the red wine in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter, minced shallot, and garlic to a medium saute pan and saute on medium-heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and saute on low heat, stirring frequently until the grains are glossy, about 2 minutes.

Add the red wine mixture to the rice and saute until absorbed.

Heat the vegetable broth in a small saucepan until warm, but not boiling.

While on medium-low heat, add a ladle full of broth to the rice and stir until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Continue ladling the broth and stirring until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, Parmesan cheese, diced beets, and an additional ladle of broth to the pan, stir, turn off the heat, and cover for 5 minutes.

Stir again and sprinkle with the lemon zest and add a shaving of Parmesan cheese, if desired. Then serve.

Unfortunately, risotto can't be made ahead of time. The risotto will lose all of its silky, creamy goodness once it sits for too long, as the grains of rice will continue to absorb the liquid. However, there are tons of possibilities for leftover risotto, so no need to worry!

Arancini (meaning "little oranges" in Italian) are little balls of leftover risotto stuffed with cheese or meat. They're rolled in breading and then deep fried until crispy on the outside and melty-cheesy on the inside. Try stuffing leftover beet risotto with creamy goat cheese. Both hold up extremely well to deep frying and will make a delicious appetizer.

Another way to use up the leftover risotto is turning them into patties. Combine the risotto with grated Manchego cheese and a beaten egg. Then, press panko breadcrumbs over the surface and pan fry until crispy and heated through. These make an excellent topper for an arugula salad or as a vegetarian patty in place of burgers.

Beet risotto is a beautiful vegetarian dish, but it can easily be made vegan with a few simple changes. Replace the butter with a vegan butter substitute and sub the Parmesan cheese for a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast.

There are a ton of great cheeses that complement the beet risotto. In place of Parmesan (or in addition to!) try goat cheese. The sharp and creamy cheese pairs exceptionally well with beets. You can also try using Manchego or other sharp sheep's milk cheeses.

If you're looking for another pop of flavor and want to use up those beet greens, try making a beet green pesto. Clean the leaves thoroughly, blanch them, and then blend with garlic, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, and olive oil. A dollop is just delicious on top of the risotto. There's also lots of room for adding herbs to this dish. Try adding some fresh thyme into the vegetable broth while it is simmering. You can also chiffonade some basil or even mint over the top of the risotto before presenting.