Tomato-Free Risotto with Whipped Goat Cheese
Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup CARINARA Cracked Pepper
- ½ cup Arborio Rice
- 4 Tbsp cold Butter, divided
- 1 small Shallot, minced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 5–6 fresh Thyme Sprigs
- 2 oz Pinot Grigio
- 12 oz Chicken Stock
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 8 oz Goat Cheese
- 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Honey, divided
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Olive Oil, to finish (optional)
Created for CARINARA by Chef Mathew Evers
Add to Cart - Cracked Pepper
Directions
Prep ahead: Keep your chicken stock warm on the stove with a small ladle next to your risotto pan. You'll add it a little at a time the whole way through.
- Blend the goat cheese and 2 Tbsp honey in a food processor until smooth (a hand mixer works too). Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, and half the thyme leaves for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant and no longer raw.
- Add the Arborio rice and lightly toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly so the rice and aromatics don't burn.
- Deglaze with the wine and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to let the alcohol cook off.
- Add your first ladle of stock (about ¼ cup), all of the CARINARA, and 1 tsp honey.
- Stir continuously until most (but not all) of the liquid is absorbed, then add another ladle of stock.
- Repeat until all the stock is used and the rice is cooked but not mushy. It should still have a slight bite, just like al dente pasta.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp cold butter and the Parmesan.
- Spoon into bowls and dot with small spoonfuls of whipped goat cheese and the remaining thyme leaves.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!
Grocery list
Everything you need, grouped by aisle:
Produce
- Shallot (1 small)
- Garlic (3 cloves)
- Fresh thyme (5–6 sprigs)
Dairy
- Butter (4 Tbsp)
- Parmesan (½ cup grated)
- Goat cheese (8 oz)
Pantry
- CARINARA Cracked Pepper (1 jar)
- Arborio rice (½ cup)
- Chicken stock (12 oz)
- Honey (2 Tbsp + 1 tsp)
- Olive oil
Wine
- Pinot Grigio (2 oz)
About the Chef: Mathew Evers
Changing what senior dining looks like
For the past 9 years, Mathew has led the culinary program at Brookestone Meadows, a skilled nursing and rehab facility in Elkhorn, NE. His mission: change how people think about senior dining. That means in-house menus and recipes, cooking from scratch, and thoughtfully curated multi-course dinners.
"I had a lot of fun creating these CARINARA Sauce based recipes and I hope that anyone that tries them enjoys them as well!"
Off the clock
When he's not cooking, Mathew is spending time with his wife, their 9-year-old son, and their family dog, Mochi.
Rooted in Omaha's food scene
A chance meeting with local restaurant legend Chef Clayton Chapman, formerly of The Grey Plume, pulled Mathew further into Omaha's food community. Since then, he's worked alongside:
- Chef Andrew Novak, Chef/Owner of All-in-Thyme Bakery & Café
- Chef Gerald Dimabuyu of The Fifth Taste Food Truck
- Chef Ben Maides of Au Courant
- The opening crew at La Vita Nuova/Alta.1897, Olde Town Elkhorn's newest dual concept
More from Chef Mathew
Shop CARINARA → Happy cooking! 🥕