{"id":3313,"date":"2013-05-06T14:10:48","date_gmt":"2013-05-06T14:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=3313"},"modified":"2013-05-07T08:49:46","modified_gmt":"2013-05-07T08:49:46","slug":"rice-and-stinging-nettles-italian-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/rice-and-stinging-nettles-italian-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Rice and Stinging Nettles – Italian Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whilst our orto<\/strong> is still in sad state after this long and wet winter, stinging nettles are growing everywhere like mad, so I\u2019m going to make the most of them! Here in Italy, when the weeds start growing it\u2019s traditional to go and collect the new leaves and shoots while they\u2019re nice and tender. It\u2019s surprising to find that wild plants such as le ortiche<\/strong> (stinging nettles), tarassaco<\/strong> (dandelions), and vitalba <\/strong>(Old Mans Beard, or wild clematis) are really tasty at this time of year, long before most cultivated vegetables have started growing. <\/p>\n

Stinging nettles are very rich in vitamins and minerals, and can be used in a variety of recipes instead of spinach, e.g. soups, frittata, gnocchi, and risotto. Today I\u2019m going to make il risotto alle ortiche <\/strong>(rice with stinging nettles). Warning:<\/strong> You\u2019ll need a pair of rubber or leather gloves to avoid being stung while picking the nettles, and remember to pick only the new tender tops.<\/p>\n

\"ortica\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Ingredienti<\/font><\/strong><\/td>\nIngredients<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
350 gr di riso Arborio or Carnaroli
400 gr di ortiche
una cipolla
una fetta di pancetta (optional)
mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco secco
una foglia di salvia
60 gr di burro
un litro di brodo vegetale o di pollo
Parmigiano grattugiato
sale e pepe<\/strong><\/td>\n		350 grams of Arborio or Carnaroli rice
400 grams of stinging nettles
one onion
one slice of pancetta\/bacon (optional)
125 ml of a dry white wine
one leaf of sage
60 grams of butter
one litre of vegetable or chicken stock
Grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

Preparation:<\/font><\/p>\n

Using a pair of rubber gloves, carefully wash the stinging nettles, drain them, and chop them roughly. Finely chop the onion and the pancetta or bacon, if you\u2019re using it. Pour the stock in a saucepan, and bring it to the boil. <\/p>\n

In another saucepan melt half of the butter, add the chopped onion and pancetta, and gently fry them until the onion is soft but not burned. Add the sage leaf and the stinging nettles, and saut\u00e9 them for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and gently \u2018toast\u2019 it whilst stirring with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate, then add a couple of ladles of the boiling stock, stir the rice and let it absorb all the liquid before adding some more stock. Continue in this way until the rice is cooked but still firm, or al dente <\/strong>as we say in Italian: it will take about 15-18 minutes. <\/p>\n

Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the remaining butter and a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated pepper, and check for saltiness. Mix everything, cover with the lid and leave it to rest for five minutes. This final process is called mantecare<\/strong>, it helps to make the risotto creamier and homogenous.<\/p>\n

Serve the risotto hot, sprinkled with more Parmigiano if liked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Buon Appetito!<\/font><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Whilst our orto is still in sad state after this long and wet winter, stinging nettles are growing everywhere like mad, so I\u2019m going to make the most of them! Here in Italy, when the weeds start growing it\u2019s traditional to go and collect the new leaves and shoots while they\u2019re nice and tender. It\u2019s…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[229355,229354,229356],"class_list":["post-3313","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-rice-with-stinging-nettles-italian-recipe","tag-risotto-alle-ortiche","tag-stinging-nettle-recipe"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t