Risotto with turnip tops, anchovies, and garlic sauce

Name: Risotto with turnip tops, anchovies, and garlic sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Rice 1 ½ cup; Broccoli rabe 1 lb; Butter 3 ½ tbsp; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.75 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Garlic 10 cloves; Milk 2 ¾ cups; Anchovies in oil 8; Taralli (Round breadsticks) 2.1 oz

it es br fr de

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 4

PRESENTATION

Risotto with turnip tops is a classic dish that really shows off the best of Puglia. Here's the deal: it starts with cime di rapa, or broccoli rabe, simmered into a tender sauce. Honestly, it offers a slightly bitter taste that's kinda unique for a vegetable risotto. This earthy bitterness makes way for the salty goodness of anchovy risotto—those anchovies just melt right in, infusing each bite with a deep, savory flavor that totally reminds you of the Bari coast. And the sauce? A creamy garlic sauce that ties everything together without stealing the show. Pretty much. A sprinkle of crumbled taralli on top gives it a crispy finish—keeps every bite super super interesting and textured.

As the weather cools down, this dish becomes a comforting favorite. Seriously good. A bowl of risotto with turnip tops is perfect for a big family meal or a cozy dinner with friends. It's really about the harmony between bold, salty anchovies and the fresh bite of cime di rapa, a combo that’s celebrated in southern Italy.

Garlic sauce risotto like this isn't dominated by just one flavor—it’s how everything works together. In Puglia, you’ll find other cime di rapa dishes, like rice salad with Ragusano cheese or pasta with nduja and stracciatella, but this garlic sauce risotto—which is awesome—stands out with its moist and velvety texture. The flavors are bold yet, really really good, giving you a taste of Apulian tradition with every bite.

For those who dig Italian risotto recipes with a twist, this dish is a prime example of how simplicity can be packed with character, making it a real crowd-pleaser when it gets cold. Whether you’re familiar with Puglian cuisine or trying it for the first time, this recipe offers a tasty experience that shows off the rich culinary heritage of southern Italy. Can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS

Rice 1 ½ cup (320 g)

Broccoli rabe 1 lb (450 g)

Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.75 oz (50 g)

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

For the garlic sauce: Garlic 10 cloves; Milk 2 ¾ cups (650 g)

To finish: Anchovies in oil 8; Taralli (Round breadsticks) 2.1 oz (60 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Risotto with turnip tops, anchovies, and garlic sauce

To prepare the risotto with turnip tops, anchovies, and garlic sauce, first peel the garlic cloves. Pour 5 oz (150 g) of milk into a small saucepan, add the garlic 1, and bring to a boil. Drain with a slotted spoon 2 and place the garlic in a small bowl 3. Discard the boiled milk and pour another 5 oz (150 g) of milk, repeating the same process 3 more times.

At the end of this process, transfer the garlic cloves to a pitcher along with 1.7 oz (50 g) of milk 4, then blend 5 until you obtain a silky sauce 6. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Clean the turnip greens, separating the tops from the leaves 7. Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for a few minutes 8, then drain and cool in ice water 9.

Blanch the tops in the same water 10, then drain and cool in ice water 11. Keep the cooking water hot; it will be used to cook the rice. Transfer the turnip leaves to a pitcher 12.

Add the oil 13, then adjust with salt and pepper 14 15.

Blend 16 until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous sauce 17. In a pan, pour the oil and add the turnip tops 18.

Adjust with salt and pepper 19 and sauté over high heat for a few minutes 20. In a saucepan, dry toast the rice for a few minutes 21.

Deglaze with white wine 22 and let all the alcohol evaporate, then cover with hot cooking water 23 until the rice is submerged by about an inch; it will take about 1 quart of liquid. Cook the rice, keeping it quite dry 34.

Turn off the heat and add the turnip top sauce 25, then stir in the cold butter in pieces 26 and the Parmesan cheese 27.

Mix everything well 28. Plate the risotto, garnishing with whole turnip tops 29 and a spoonful of garlic cream 30.

Finish with 2-3 anchovy fillets 31 and the crumbled taralli 32. Your risotto with turnip tops, anchovies, and garlic sauce is ready to be enjoyed 33!

Storage

It is advisable to consume the risotto with turnip tops, anchovies, and garlic sauce right after it's prepared.

Advice

Instead of taralli, you can use toasted bread crumbs.

For a more rustic version, you can replace the anchovies with crumbled and browned sausage!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.