If you are a pepper fan, you will enjoy this risotto! This is my adapted version, I found the original recipe on foodfit.com, so it has the added bonus of being healthy, can't go wrong with that!
I have a hard time finding a lot of ingredients at local grocers so do a lot of shopping on amazon grocery and netgrocer. I buy this arborio, imported from Italy, at amazon, and am really happy with the quality and price.
Roasted Red Pepper Risotto
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon roasted garlic
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
1 red pepper
1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep hot over low heat. (I usually measure my stock into a big pyrex cup and warm it in the microwave instead of the stove)
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a separate medium-sized pot, add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Add the rice to the garlic oil mixture, stir and turn the heat to low. Add about 1 cup of the hot stock to the rice mixture, and stir slowly until the stock is absorbed.
4. Continue to add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring slowly, letting the rice absorb the stock before adding more.
5. While the risotto is cooking, preheat the broiler to roast the red pepper. Slice the pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the 2 halves on a cookie sheet (skin side up).
Broil until the skin is evenly blistered, about 5 to 8 minutes. Put the pepper in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover, peel off the skin and slice the pepper into strips.
6. The risotto is cooked when it is creamy on the outside and slightly firm (al dente) in the center, about 20 to 25 minutes in all. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the red pepper strips. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the risotto is too thick, add a little more stock until it becomes creamy.
7. Divide the risotto into serving dishes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and red pepper strips.
