Felt like having minestrone using leftover risoni. I don’t have all the ingredients to make risoni. Change my mind at the last minute and just use what I have. I don’t like to waste food.

Google: “Risoni (pronounced ree-soh-nee) looks like large grains of rice but is actually a type of pasta. It’s also known as risi (which is Italian for rice) or pasta a riso, and is sometimes referred to as orzo, although this tends to be slightly larger. Orzo is a familiar shape that goes by many names – risoni (or “big rice” in Italian) and puntalette (“tiny tips”) are just two of its other aliases. Orzo literally means “barley” in Italian, as the pasta shape resembles a grain of barley or rice.”

“Risoni will expand a bit like rice and expands to about three times its dry size when cooked. It is quicker to cook than rice, taking only seven to eight minutes when tossed in a big pot of salted boiling water.”

“Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge though it won’t be as oozy as the risoni absorbs the sauce.” So, I decided to make it a pudding as I have leftover blueberries. I have written down for you the method. Well, presentation is not beautiful, but it’s sure is comforting, texture has some crunch and delicious. Let’s bake!!!

Ingredients

Risoni one day in advance

75-100 g raw risoni
1 c vegetable stock or water
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/8 onion, diced
salt

Blueberry risoni pudding

About 1/2 c cooked risoni
300 ml thickened cream
100 ml milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2-1 3/4 c water
75 g castor sugar (OPT)
100 g blueberries
1 Tsp vanilla extract
70 g blueberries, garnish
nutmeg, for sprinkling (OPT)

Method

One in advance

In a small pot on a medium heat, melt your butter. Once butter melted, add onion and let it gently cook until soft, for about 3-5 minutes. Make sure to stir onion regularly to prevent it sticking to the bottom of pot. Now add risoni into buttery onion and stir gently to coat. Next add stock and turn up heat to boil.

Reduce to a simmer, once boiled. Occasionally stir risoni to prevent from sticking to the bottom of pot whilst it’s absorbing stock about 8-10 minutes. Once risoni has absorbed about 1/2 the stock; add salt and lemon juice and give it a stir. From this point it will probably only need another 2-3 minutes. When risoni is done, turn off the heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

The next day

Preheat oven 160 degrees C. Grease pan. In a big metal bowl, stir together all the blueberry risoni ingredients plus 1 1/2 c water first, except the garnish and sprinkling ingredient. Making sure it’s mixed well. If risoni is a bit lumpy add 1/4 c of water and mix well again. Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish.

Sprinkles nutmeg over it. Place pan in a larger baking tray with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of pan. Bake until set, about 40-45 minutes. Just before serving garnish some blueberries. Can be serve hot or cold. Enjoy!!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2023/09/21/blueberry-risoni-pudding/

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