Risotto di Carciofi (Artichoke Risotto)

I'm not tired of artichokes yet, here's a great way to swap out a heavy main ingredient, like sausage, for a lighter meal.

Ingredients

2 large artichokes, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 green garlic bulb, sliced

1 large shallot, sliced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup of wine

1 cup of aborio rice

1 quart of vegetable broth, heated in a medium sauce pan, until almost simmering

Salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan to garnish

Directions

1. Heat the stock in a medium pan, until almost simmering. You'll want to keep it hot throughout the cooking process, so that is quickly absorbed by the rice.
2. In a large flat plan, like a sautee pan, cook the shallots, green garlic, artichokes until slightly browned. About 5 minutes.
3. Note: Some people cook their risotto in a pot. I like a flat pan because it provides more surface area for the ingredients to cook. The liquid is absorbed more evenly this way.
4. Add the rice, cook until the grains are transparent, but not brown. About 5 minutes.
5. Add the white wine and cook until that is completely evaporated. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
6. Start adding the broth, one ladle at a time. Stir constantly until the broth is just almost completely absorb.
7. Note: If your vegetable broth has enough sodium, you won't have to add salt to the cooking process. If you are using low sodium, you will want to add a teaspoon of salt before you start adding the broth.
8. Continue adding broth until the risotto is al dente. You might not need the whole quart.
9. Season with salt, pepper. Top with parmesan and enjoy.