Minestra di Latte

I can't remember if I submitted this one when we did our International month. I don't think I did so here it is. This is a stick to your ribs, perfect for a really cold night Italian soup. When I first had this in Italy, I was so fascinated by the simplicity of the ingredients and have since made this countless times for us. I'll post the recipe as I was told it and then put my measurements in parenthesis.

Minestra di Latte
----------------------
1 liter milk (roughly 4 cups)
1/4 liter water (roughly 1 cup)
1 t. salt
6 handfuls of arborio rice (200 grams on a kitchen scale or 1 heaping cup)

Combine the milk and water in a medium saucepan and heat just until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Toss in salt and stir to combine. Add rice and stir. Now turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and slowly simmer (without boiling) for about 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked but not mushy.

I wish I could tell you that this is a hands off recipe but I must warn you that you must stay very close to the stove as your rice cooks because the minute you turn your back on heating milk it will boil over on you. This has happened to me more times than I care to admit. Also, you need to periodically stir the soup to prevent a milk skin from forming on the surface. If you get a skin on your soup, carefully fish it out and toss it.