Rice with Borlotti Beans "Risotto con borlotti"

Lombardy

Cooking time: 1 hour and 50 minutes Difficulty: Ingredients, amounts for 4 people: meat broth/stock: 2 pints butter: ½ oz onion: ½ 'borlotti' or cranberry beans: 1 lb 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese: 1 oz olive oil: pancetta (Italian spiced bacon): 2 oz tomatoes: 7 oz rice: 7 oz salt: red wine: ½ glass

Preparation: Boil the beans, placing them in cold, salted water, without allowing them to overcook. Drain the beans. Heat the broth/stock . Peel, seed and dice the tomatoes after having placed them in boiling water for one minute. Place the thinly sliced onion in a pan with the diced bacon, the oil and half of the butter. Allow to brown slowly. Add the tomatoes and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes, then add the beans. When they have been well flavoured, add the rice and allow it to toast, mixing carefully and then adding the wine. When the wine has evaporated, add a few ladlefuls of broth/stock . Continue stirring, adding more broth/stock as it is absorbed, until the rice has become 'al dente' (cooked but still has a bite). Taste and salt if needed. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter and two spoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well then cover the with a cloth and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Pour the risotto into a serving dish and serve with additional Parmesan cheese. It is a rich, delicious risotto.