Unlike classic risotto recipes where broth is added gradually as you stir, the arborio rice in this dish is added to a pot of boiling water. Stirring constantly is still key though, so don’t step away from the kitchen. A beaten egg added at the last moment helps make the dish creamy without any dairy.
Serve this recipe from Roman tour guide Micaela Pavoncello for Seder along with roasted lamb shoulder, braised spring vegetables called vignarola, and braised artichokes.
Read about Micaela’s family on our partner the Jewish Food Society’s archive and find more Passover recipes here.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 garlic clove, peeled
9 cups water
1½ teaspoon salt
3 cups arborio rice
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
Preparation
- Add enough olive oil into a large pot to create a ½ inch layer of oil. Place over medium heat.
- Add the chili and a garlic into the oil and let it cook until it is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully add 9 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt into the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.
- Add the rice and bring the water back up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium to keep cooking the mixture over a simmer. Stir the rice constantly as it cooks. After about 10-15 minutes, the rice will thicken as the water evaporates. Continue stirring the rice. Reduce the heat to medium low and keep on stirring the rice until it is creamy and the rice is tender with a bit of a bite to it, about 10-15 more minutes.
- Transfer the pot off of the heat and add the beaten egg, vigorously stir the mixture until the egg is evenly incorporated and emulsified into the creamy rice.
- Serve hot.
