Ingredients
• 1 bunch of fresh beetroot (2 large or 3 small)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 30g butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 2 vegetable stock cubes, crumbled
• 4 1/2 cups (1.125 litres) boiling water
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g seafood marinara
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Method
1. Peel the beetroot and cut into julienne strips. Wash the beetroot tops and chop into 7cm pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy saucepan, saute the onion for 3 mins or until soft. Add the beetroot (reserving tops) and cook stirring over a moderate heat for 2 mins. Add rice and stir until translucent.
3. Dissolve stock cubes in boiling water. Add a little at a time to rice and stir until absorbed. Continue stirring in the stock, gradually, until the rice is just cooked. This process should take around 20 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Saute the beetroot leaves quickly for about a minute or until just wilted. Remove from the heat.
5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the frypan and saute the garlic for a minute. Add the seafood marinara and cook over a high heat for 2-3 min or until just cooked, season with salt and pepper and stir through the lemon juice. Serve the risotto, topped with the beetroot tops and the marinara.
