The BELL PEPPER RISOTTO is a simple and fresh dish, perfect to serve in summer or early autumn, when this delicious vegetable is sweeter and more aromatic. It’s a quick risotto to prepare and can be served both at a family lunch and during a convivial moment with friends. It’s also ideal for vegetarian friends or, by substituting butter and cheese, for vegans.
This first course does not require many steps and, precisely for this reason, you only need to pay attention to a few important elements. First of all, the choice of peppers: they should be firm and full of flesh. Because presentation matters too, I prefer them in bright, different colors to make the dish particularly cheerful. Also pay careful attention to toasting the rice, cooking it al dente and creaming it (mantecatura) to achieve that enveloping creaminess that makes the dish so delicious. Turn off the heat, add very cold butter and work vigorously until the dish is perfect.
SEE OTHER RISOTTO RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 2 cups Carnaroli rice
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth (celery, carrot, onion)
- 1/3 golden (yellow) onion
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- Half cup white wine
- 1 sprig rosemary
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 3 tbsp butter (frozen)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Tools
- 1 Risottiera
- 1 Cutting board
Steps
To prepare BELL PEPPER RISOTTO, first make the vegetable broth. Put water in a pot with the peeled carrot, celery and onion. Salt and bring to a boil.
Wash the bell peppers and remove the seeds and white membranes. Then cut them into cubes and set aside.
Finely chop the onion and place it in a pot, preferably with a thick bottom, along with a drizzle of olive oil. Lightly salt it—this will draw out its moisture and prevent burning—and let it soften over very low heat.
Add the rice, lightly salt it and toast it, stirring continuously.
Touch the grains with a finger and as soon as they feel warm, deglaze with the white wine. Let it evaporate and add two ladles of hot broth.
Stir and let cook for 5 minutes, adding more broth as the rice dries out.
Add the bell peppers, season lightly with salt and pepper, and continue cooking.
When the bell pepper risotto is cooked, add the chopped rosemary leaves, the frozen butter and the Parmesan. Then cream the risotto, cover with a lid and let it rest for 5 minutes before plating and enjoying its delicate goodness.
