Skip to main content

Ditalini Risotto

5.0

(5)

This image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Dish and Meal
Photo by Peden & Munk

Rather than being cooked in salted water, the pasta is treated like risotto—simmered in stock and stirred until cooked and creamy—which gives it plenty of time to pick up meaty flavors.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons garlic oil (see Toasted Garlic-Beef Stock) or olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound ditalini or other short, tubular pasta
6 cups (or more) Toasted Garlic-Beef Stock
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino, plus more for serving
Kosher salt
1 cup baby kale
1 cup baby mustard greens or other spicy greens
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat butter and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12–18 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced by half, 8–10 minutes. Add ditalini and 2 cups stock and cook, stirring occasionally and adding remaining 4 cups stock 1 cup at a time as pasta absorbs liquid, until pasta is al dente and sauce loosens, 25–30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add 1/2 cup Pecorino and cook until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy. If sauce becomes too thick, add more stock until it's slightly runny again. Season pasta with salt. Divide among shallow bowls and top with kale, mustard greens, and more Pecorino. Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with oil.

Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.
This marinara sauce is great tossed with any pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”
All the cozy vibes of the classic gooey-cheesy dish, made into a 20-minute meal.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Cooking down radicchio with vinegar and sugar until jammy is an eye-opening approach that reveals a world of options beyond salad.