The rice with zucchini and smoked cheese with mint is my personal recipe. A very fragrant, tasty, and light dish suitable for lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for a refined and interesting recipe to change from the usual, I believe this is the right one. Mint is one of the flavors I greatly appreciate in cooking, alongside oregano and rosemary.
Those who enjoy browsing my blog will notice that I often use these aromas found in nature, which can also be dried and used throughout the year in our dishes. Besides providing a good taste, mint also has digestive and tonic properties.
Together with the sweet diuretic zucchini, they pair wonderfully. This risotto is a very digestible and tasty first course with the smoked cheese melting inside.
In Puglia, we have the opportunity to buy fresh cheeses like smoked cheese, mozzarella, ricotta directly from the farmers, and this is a great benefit.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1.75 cups Rice (For risottos)
- 2 Zucchini (Small)
- as needed Extra virgin olive oil
- stalk Celery (A piece from the stalk)
- 2 Carrots (Small)
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 Onions (Small)
- 2 leaves Mint (Fresh)
- 7 oz Smoked cheese
- 1 small glass White wine
- as needed Salt
- as needed Black pepper (Ground)
Tools
- Pot
Preparation
First, prepare a vegetable broth by boiling celery, carrot, onion, and a tomato in a pot for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Then in a pot, sauté garlic and onion in extra virgin olive oil and toast the rice. Pour in the white wine, let it evaporate, and add the diced zucchini with the mint.
Cook with the broth, added gradually as it gets absorbed, and cook the rice until it’s al dente for about 20 minutes.
Finally, mix in the cubed smoked cheese and season with a sprinkle of black pepper, but don’t overdo it.
Serve the steaming rice on plates when everyone’s ready at the table to enjoy it preferably hot.
Rice with Zucchini and Smoked Cheese with Mint
The rice with zucchini and smoked cheese with mint is a recipe that has happily succeeded, “tres bonne” as we appreciate it in the family.
I recommend not overdoing it with the mint, as it could otherwise become overwhelming.
It’s better to use it in the right measure, as too much can spoil it.
Come also to peek on Pinterest at The Cook Who Recuperates
