Creamy and delicate, the zucchini risotto is a simple first course perfect for late winter and early spring days when zucchinis are back in season, but the craving for comforting dishes is still strong. If you love zucchinis and want to make them the star of your table, this risotto is a tasty alternative to the classic stuffed zucchinis, the pasta with zucchinis, or the traditional zucchini side dishes. The secret to its creaminess? The zucchinis themselves, which grated with a large-hole grater, dissolve gently during cooking, forming a natural cream and giving the risotto a delicate shade of green. Enhancing everything, the final touch of butter and parmesan gives it an irresistibly velvety finish. The zucchini risotto is a simple dish, unpretentious, yet capable of surprising with its harmony of flavors.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 8 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 443.96 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 68.78 (g) of which sugars 1.05 (g)
- Proteins 10.82 (g)
- Fat 14.04 (g) of which saturated 5.19 (g)of which unsaturated 2.62 (g)
- Fibers 2.29 (g)
- Sodium 438.12 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 260 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 for Zucchini Risotto
- 1.5 cups Carnaroli rice
- 14 oz zucchinis
- 1/4 onion
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons butter
- 1 oz Parmesan Reggiano DOP (grated)
- A few leaves mint
- to taste salt
- to taste vegetable broth
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Grater large-hole
- 1 Pan non-stick
How to prepare zucchini risotto
To prepare the zucchini risotto, start by washing and drying the zucchinis. Trim them and grate them using a large-hole grater (1). Finely chop the onion and place it in a non-stick pan along with the oil (2).
Sauté it gently over low heat, then add the zucchinis (3), a pinch of salt, and the chopped mint leaves. Let cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the zucchinis have wilted. Then add the rice (4).
Toast it for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, then deglaze with a bit of hot vegetable broth (5). Cook the zucchini risotto for about 15 minutes, stirring often (6) and adding more hot broth when the previously added broth has been absorbed.
When the rice is almost done, lower the heat slightly and let it thicken a little: it should be soft but not soupy (7). Turn off the heat and add the butter in pieces (8).
Stir immediately to melt it and continue stirring for about a minute. Then add the parmesan (9) and continue to stir, always off the heat, until you get a creamy risotto (10).
Serve the zucchini risotto immediately, garnished if you like with a few mint leaves or a bit of grated parmesan.
Storage
Like all risottos, even the zucchini one should be served freshly made. But if it should be leftover, you can store it in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, sealed in a glass container. You can then use it to prepare riso al salto or rice croquettes (supplì).
Tips and Variations
If you want to give more flavor to the risotto, you can add 100 g of diced pancetta or a crumbled sausage to the onion sauté.
