Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That's all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for $20 or less, and you've got a feast for family or friends.
Risotto has a mellifluous energy to it—from the Italian names of the technical steps, like mantecatura and tostatura, to the sound of the finished dish, rich and flowing, not stodgy or heavy.
Unfortunately, the notion that it is “so hard to make at home” has become pervasive within home kitchens and the food media realm. Alas, my beloved Top Chef may be at least partly to blame for this woeful messaging, but rest assured: Risotto is, actually, pretty darn doable. It doesn’t call for too many ingredients, and it’s almost always ready in 40 minutes flat—or less. Why wouldn’t you try to make this dish at home?
While this version leans into the classic elements of stock, butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, I switched things up a bit here by swapping the traditional arborio or carnaroli rice for farro—one of my favorite, toothsome grains—and taking it to the next level with a concentration of carrot flavor like you’ve never seen. We’re talking juice, purée, carrot peels, carrot greens—the whole ball of wax! Nothing is going to waste here.
I’ve kept this vegetarian—except for the rennet in the Parmigiano—but you can certainly use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock, or boost the protein quotient by topping this with some grilled shrimp or braised chicken. I think the dish is substantial enough on its own, but some extra protein certainly won’t hurt.
Carrots have probably been my number one ingredient in recent months, so I wanted to utilize them once again here. With fall just underway though, I’ll probably start swapping them out for one of my favorite underappreciated pieces of produce: the parsnip. In the meantime, the orange hue of carrots enlivens this farrotto (risotto: minus the “ris,” with “farro” added—get it?). It’s sure to satisfy—and impress.
With a dollop of mascarpone added to the grated cheese and butter, this farrotto is certainly not low-cal, but goodness gracious, is it delicious! The carrot top gremolata contributes a great acidic note to brighten up the final dish, while adding a pop of contrasting color.
I garnish this with fried carrot peels, which I think are necessary for some varied texture; otherwise this is a pretty loose dish, with some toothsome chewiness. But if you don’t want to deep-fry carrot peels, you can steer clear of this step. Or the air fryer also works!
Since this dish leans to the rich side, you want a bright white wine with juicy acidity to balance out the dairy fat and herbal notes to connect with the gremolata. The subtle earthy sweetness of the carrot also plays beautifully off of a white with orchard fruit and sweet citrus character, something like the Château du Retout Vin de France White Le Retout Blanc.
Made in Bordeaux from grapes better known in the Jurançon, Jura and Savoie regions, this distinctive blend of Gros Manseng, Sauvignon Gris, Mondeuse Blanche and Savagnin offers a profile of white peach and nectarine fruit, flowers such as jasmine, herbs like verbena and tarragon and a pleasantly bitter hint of quinine; recent vintages on the market can be found for $20 to $25.
Recipe: Carrot Farrotto with Carrot Top Gremolata and Fried Carrot Peels
Look for a white with peachy fruit, bright acidity and herbal notes such as the Château du Retout Vin de France White Le Retout Blanc (2022 vintage: 91 points, $25; 2021 vintage: 90 points, $20).
For another $10 or so, Château du Tertre also makes a consistently outstanding, fresh Vin de France white that blends Sauvignon Blanc, Gros Manseng, Chardonnay and Viognier, with similar white peach, citrus, verbena and quinine notes.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Approximate food costs: $20
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely minced (about the size of the farro grains themselves)
- 2 to 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup carrot juice (either store-bought or juiced at home)
- 1 cup farro
- 1/2 cup dry white wine of your choice (you can use the same wine you’ll serve alongside)
- 3 to 5 carrots, peeled, then steamed, roasted or boiled, then pureed
- Kosher salt
- Carrot top greens, roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons mascarpone
- 4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated on a microplane
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lemon, zested
- Fried carrot peels, for garnish, optional
Preparation
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, warm the oil over medium-low heat until it’s slightly rippling. Add shallot, stir and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly translucent.
2. In a separate pot over low heat, combine stock and juice. Keep warm.
3. Add the farro to the skillet and toast for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add wine and reduce until the pan is nearly dry.
5. Add carrot puree and a generous pinch of salt and stir well.
6. Using a ladle, spoon in one ladleful of the stock-juice combination, stirring, until the farro absorbs nearly all of the liquid. Repeat, about two more times, until the farro is al dente and the liquid is almost entirely used.
7. To make the gremolata: While the farro is cooking, in a small bowl, toss carrot greens, lemon zest, a small pinch of salt and a touch of oil.
8. To make the garnish: As the farro nears completion, peel strips of carrot using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Fry, either in oil or in an air fryer, until the peels are just browned and crisped. Be careful: The carrot strips will fry quickly and will continue to brown and crisp after they’re removed from the oil/air fryer. Let drain on paper towels and salt lightly.
9. Add mascarpone, butter and Parmigiano Reggiano to the cooked farro and whip—vigorously—until everything is incorporated and the farrotto is rich, thick and creamy.
10. Taste farrotto for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve immediately in bowls, topped with the carrot top gremolata and fried carrot peels. Serves 3 to 4.
Tips and Notes
• To save time, instead of cooking and puréeing the carrots yourself, you can buy pure carrot baby food. Not kidding! It works perfectly. Just be sure not to get carrot-apple or carrot-pear or any other combo that would skew too sweet.
• For the carrot top gremolata, add some extra oil if you want it to become more of a loose sauce to drizzle over the top. (Think chimichurri, chermoula or pesto.) I just used the carrot greens, but add in whatever herbs you have on hand; parsley would be great or something like radish greens or beet greens.
• If you don’t want to eat peels fried, you can peel the carrots, then shave off pieces of carrot to fry up.
• You want to serve this quite literally the instant it is done. Do not let it sit.
• This is quite filling, so you may have leftovers. I don’t love leftover risotto on its own, but you can never go wrong with arancini!
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