The saffron risotto ring is a spectacular and delicious main dish, perfect for special occasions or a Sunday lunch that aims to impress. This recipe transforms the classic risotto into an elegant timbale, where the creaminess of the rice meets a tasty crust and a gooey center.
Why this recipe wins everyone over:
The Flavor Contrast: The aromatic sweetness of saffron pairs perfectly with the savoriness of bacon and the delicacy of grilled zucchini.
The Texture: The outer shell, formed by slices of zucchini and bacon, encloses a soft interior enriched with a core of mozzarella and peas.
The “Wow” Effect: Once unmolded, the ring reveals a vibrant play of colors (the green of the zucchini, the pink of the bacon, and the gold of the rice) making it the absolute star of the table.
A secret for success
The key to success lies in the pan lining: carefully overlapping the slices not only ensures impeccable aesthetics but allows the ring to maintain perfect shape once flipped onto the serving plate.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 883.77 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 78.66 (g) of which sugars 3.50 (g)
- Proteins 34.31 (g)
- Fat 45.50 (g) of which saturated 18.69 (g)of which unsaturated 15.66 (g)
- Fibers 4.08 (g)
- Sodium 1,451.18 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 packets saffron
- 1/2 onion
- 500 g Carnaroli rice
- 30 g butter
- 200 ml white wine
- 120 g grated Parmesan
- 1 liter vegetable broth
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 250 g peas
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 3 ladles vegetable broth
- to taste pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg (grated)
- 200 g mozzarella
- 20 slices zucchini
- 20 slices bacon
- to taste butter (for the mold)
Tools
- 1 Bundt Cake Pan
- 1 Pan
Steps
Start by preparing the peas. In a pot, sauté the onion with olive oil and add the peas
Add some vegetable broth
some nutmeg
Salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes and let cool
Cut 20 slices of zucchini with a thickness of 0.8 inches
Grill the zucchini.
Proceed with cooking the rice. In a pan, melt the butter with some olive oil.
Toast the rice
deglaze with wine
Add a few ladles of vegetable broth and stir.
Near the end of cooking, add more broth with dissolved saffron powder.
Continue stirring.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and mix in the Parmesan
Butter the ring mold
Line the walls of the mold, alternating and overlapping halfway, a slice of grilled zucchini and a slice of bacon, making sure to leave the redder part of the bacon facing outwards for a decorative effect once the ring is unmolded. Continue until ingredients are used up and the entire diameter of the mold is covered.
Fill the mold with half the rice, level the surface with the back of a spoon, and press into the center of the rice to form a cavityadd the mozzarella
the peas
cover with more risotto
and finish with speck and zucchini. Cook in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 40-50 minutes (if using a fan oven, 320°F for 30-40 minutes). Let the ring cool slightly, then place on a serving plate and serve
