Leek and red wine risotto

Leek and red wine risotto (Cabernet, Bonarda, Barbera or any  dry red wine that's good enough to drink)

Ingredients for 4:

400 g (about 2 ½ cups) of “vialone nano” rice  (round shaped medium length grain rice)

1 leek

2 glasses of red wine

1,5 liters vegetable broth http://irissrecipesvicenza.blogspot.it/2015/12/vegetable-broth.html

3 tablespoons olive oil

30 g butter

50 g Parmesan cheese

Put a pot of vegetable broth on the heat.  Cut away the green end of the leek because very tough and trim the other end. Rinse under running water and slice finely. Put the oil in a pan, add the leek and let simmer for a few minutes until soft. Raise the heat and soon afterwards pour in the rice and toast it for two minutes, always stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and stir. After a minute lower the heat and stir till the wine evaporates. Add two ladles of warm broth and continue to cook the risotto on medium heat. Add more broth only when the other has evaporated and so on until the risotto is done. There is no need to stir constantly, but it is essential to do this every time you add broth. Risotto will take about 18 minutes or more to cook, according to one’s taste. When almost done (after about 16/17 minutes), turn off the heat, blend in the butter and the grated cheese and adjust salt, stirring until all the butter has melted. If the risotto is too dry add some broth. Cover the pan and let the risotto stand for about a minute or two before serving. 

Vegetable broth

1 large potato

1 white onion

1 stalk celery

2 carrots

1 zucchini

1 tbsp tomato puree

A few sprigs of parsley

2 liters of water

Coarse salt

  

Peel the vegetables and cut them into pieces. Place them in a pot with the water, add the tomato puree and some salt and bring to a boil. Add the parsley (including stems) and cook for about an hour over medium heat, covered with a lid. If necessary, season with salt or vegetable granules  and strain the broth through a sieve.