A fun duo of risotto: the Milanese variant with saffron and Parmesan cheese and the Verde variant with green asparagus, spinach, ricotta and pistachio pesto. Delicious as a vegetarian Italian starter or main course.
Nice to know:
According to legend, Risotto alla Milanese was created by Vlaming Valerius di Flandria. Valerius was an apprentice glass maker who worked on the stained glass windows of Milan’s cathedral in 1574. He was teased by his colleagues who added saffron to the glass, giving it a nice yellow color. But that gave him an idea. He colored his rice with saffron and so Risotto alla Milanese was born.
‘Verde’ means green in Italian. Green ingredients are often added to Risotto Verde and so these types of risotto are generally vegetarian.
The best of two worlds!
