Creamy Pesto Risotto

Summer is coming to an end soon.   My favorite herb is basil and I know that it will be gone soon so I am trying to use it as much as I can while I still have it.   The first thing that comes to mind when I think about basil is pesto.   I love pesto; I made it twice this week.   It is always best when it is freshly made.  The jarred pesto can't compare.   In an earlier post I wrote that I never ate white rice at home, I forgot about risotto when I was writing that because I do eat white arborio rice.   There is no substitute for the creaminess of arborio rice in risotto.   If I ever find a brown arborio I will definitely stock up on it but until I do this is delicious!   Some people server risotto as a side but I like it as a main dish.  

Creamy Pesto Risotto

Pesto sauce:

5-6 cups fresh basil

¼  cup pine nuts (or other nuts of choice)

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

¼  - ½ cup cashew cream or soymilk

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl periodically to make sure you get everything incorporated.  Set aside.

(to make cashew cream put 1/8 cup of raw cashews in a blender with ½ cup water and blend until smooth)

Risotto

2 cups Arborio rice

8 cups water or vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾  cup white wine

Place vegetable broth in a pan and heat to boiling, then reduce the heat to keep it simmering.  Place onions and garlic in a large sauté pan with enough water to steam fry (1/4-1/2 cup) Steam fry until onions are translucent, adding splashes of water if needed to prevent it from drying out.    Once onions are translucent and the water has all evaporated, add the risotto and stir with a non-metal spoon for about  2 minutes.   Add the wine and continue stirring until most of the wine has evaporated.   Set the timer for 25 minutes now.   Start adding about a ladle full of the broth to the risotto and continue stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated.   (you want the pan hot enough for the broth to sizzle when it is added to the rice)  Continue doing this until all the broth is gone (about 20-25 minutes).   Remove the cooked rice from the heat and mix well with the pesto sauce and serve.