Prosciutto And Pesto Parcels

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 4 teaspoons parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces butter
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 11 ounces arborio rice
• 1 cup wine
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
• salt
• 1 ounce fresh basil leaf
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 1/2 ounces pecorino cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 first make the risotto. heat the olive oil and 1oz of butter in a large, deep frying pan. add the shallots and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft.
• 2 stir in the garlic and cook for 8 minutes, until it starts to soften.
• 3 add in the arborio rice and stir until it is glistening with butter. add the wine and cook until all of it has been absorbed.
• 4 in a separate pan, bring the stock to a simmer.
• 5 add a ladleful of hot stock to the rice and cook over a moderate heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring until the liquid has absorbed. season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• 6 continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, until all or nearly all of it has been used and the rice is tender, this should take about 18 minutes from the first ladleful.
• 7 when the risotto is ready, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, the basil and 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan. the finished risotto should be quite fluffy but not soupy. cover and set aside.
• 8 meanwhile, make the pesto. place the basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, pecorino, salt and freshly ground pepper in a food processor and blend until combined.
• 9 overlap two prosciutto slices into a cross. place a generous dollop of risotto in the centre of the ham and wrap the ham over the risotto to make a parcel.
• 10 repeat the process making 4 parcels in all.
• 11 peheat the broiler.
• 12 place a teaspoon of pesto on the top of each parcel (reserving the remaining pesto for future use) and sprinkle each parcel with a teaspoon of grated parmesan.
• 13 broil for 2 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and serve at once.