PARTNER POST — The holiday season is here and it is time to add some Italian flair to your menu with authentic ingredients from Colavita and Perugina’s rich Italian chocolate.
As a side or main, whip up a sun-dried tomato risotto by easily baking in the oven. Create a fun chocolate dessert cake with yogurt and cannellini beans.
Enjoying long meals with family and friends is one of the best parts of the holiday season. As Italian was always a favorite cuisine of mine, I went with a slightly adapted take on a traditional North Italian dish by making a Baked Sundried Tomato Risotto made with Colavita Arboria Rice flavored with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and green olives married together with Colavita Garlic Olive Oil. All those flavors coming together is like the sun coming out after 3 weeks of rain! 
A delicious and light, baked risotto with a myriad of flavors from artichokes, olives and sundried tomatoes. This would make a lovely main dish or even a side one.
Print
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Colavita Garlic Olive Oil
- ½ red onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 Colavita artichoke hearts
- 3 Colavita Olives
- 2 pieces sundried tomato chopped
- 1 cup Colavita Arboria Rice
- 2 cups Vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees
- In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, then add onion, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients – including the rice and vegetable stock
- And transfer skillet to oven and let risotto bake for 20 minutes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main, Side
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
I also had some well roasted Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli that had been generously tossed in Colavita Pepperolio oil on the side. This simple dish was so good, I had to make it twice as my daughter and I snacked on the whole pan the first time I made it.
Print - Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1½ cup brussels sprouts
- 1½ cup broccoli
- ¼ cup Colavita Hot pepper oil
Instructions
- Thoroughly mix Brussels sprouts and broccoli with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side
And for dessert, I made a light chocolate bean “cheese”cake which is more similar to a lighter Italian one (that is made with Ricotta or Mascarpone) than a traditional New York one. This “cheese”cake was made with cannellini beans, eggs, yogurt, coconut sugar and Perugina’s Dark Chocolate Orangello Bar with a chopped array of assorted milk, dark and white Perugina Baci Chocolate crumbled on top.
Print - Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
- 6 Squares Perugina Orange Dark Chocolate melted
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Toppings: 4 Perugina White Chocolate Chopped up and 2 each mini Perugina chocolates chopped
Instructions
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Dolci
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
