Risotto with Meat Sauce, St. Anna Beans

My husband absolutely loves risotto, so when I came across a section in the cookbook with many types of risotto, I knew I'd have to make one. Usually I make my risotto plain with parmesan and white wine, or even a vegetable like peas or pumpkin, so when I saw this recipe I was intrigued. I loved how it took risotto, a side, and stretched it into an entire meal (though I felt the need to add more veggies on the side!) I looked at the veggie sides, and found a recipe for St. Anna beans. The traditionally made with snake beans, but I could not find them in the market. They're native to Tuscany, but can be found in California. They grow to 1 ft. in length, but I did find longer green beans to substitute. This meal was delicious!

Again, I brought the book back to the library before I typed the recipe, so these are adaptations from the original.

Risotto with Meat Sauce

& St. Anna Beans

Risotto (I halved this):

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. fresh minced rosemary

1 tsp. fresh minced sage

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 c. arborio rice

1/2 c. red wine

1 lb. plum tomatoes, peeled and crushed (I used 2 c. crushed canned tomatoes)

4-5 c. beef stock

Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over medium, brown beef and pork. Add onions, garlic and herbs. Cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add in rice, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, reduce by half. Add tomatoes and stock. Turn to low, stir every few minutes, cook for 30-40 minutes. Add more stock as necessary. Top with parmesan cheese.

St. Anna Beans:

1 lb. snake or green beans, trimmed

1 lb. plum tomatoes, peeled and crushed (I used 2 c. crushed tomatoes)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

In a small sauce pot, combine tomatoes, garlic and salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add a bit of water if necessary.

Steam beans until al dente, toss in sauce plate and top with remaining sauce.