RECIPE: A realistic path to 30-minute risotto

Thirty-minute risotto is one of those hard-to-keep promises that recipe-writers make. To pull it off, you’ll need to do a bit of multitasking — and limit your prep. After all, the rice will require much of your attention for its entire 25-minute cook time, so any toppings or additions should either be added raw or cooked unattended.

Here, the rice is topped with oil-packed artichoke hearts that get “fried” in their own oil in the oven. Pop them in the oven as it heats and leave them in there until they turn brown and crisp. They’ll need one flip, but otherwise don’t need any attention.

While the artichokes do their thing, heat the risotto cooking liquid (I like to stretch one box of vegetable broth with water, but you can use all broth) and start toasting the grains. I prefer to toast the rice in additional artichoke oil instead of butter; once it turns translucent, stir in white wine and cook it until it disappears. From there, ladle in enough warm broth to cover the rice, let it absorb while you stir, then repeat until the rice is cooked to your liking. You don’t need to stir constantly, but do keep the rice moving as best you can to prevent sticking. To finish, simply stir in a bit of butter and a generous amount of lemon juice. It doesn’t need anything else.