The strawberry risotto is an elegant dish with a delicate flavor, suitable as both a main course and a single dish for a special spring dinner. A recipe combining the sweetness of strawberries with the creaminess of risotto, creating a unique and special culinary experience. I tasted this dish for the first time back in 1992 in Brianza during an event closure organized by the pharmaceutical company where my husband worked. I recall when they offered me to try it, I decisively said no, thinking that sweet flavors in a main dish wouldn’t suit my taste. They convinced me saying that the strawberry risotto had a balanced flavor and the sweetness was barely noticeable. They added that if I tried it, I would surely ask for more. To my great surprise, it was true! I fell in love with it at the first taste. Since then, I propose it at least a couple of times each spring and on the occasion of my son Lorenzo’s birthday who loves it.
If you like strawberries as much as I do, discover other recipes you can make at home:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to prepare the strawberry risotto
- 12.3 oz Carnaroli rice
- 8.8 oz strawberries
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3.5 oz prosecco (or dry white wine)
- 3.5 oz butter
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot (or spring onion)
- 1.4 oz pecorino romano (grated)
- 1 oz grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp cooking cream (optional)
- to taste salt
Preparation
Start by gently washing the strawberries under running water, pat them dry and cut them into pieces. Remember to set aside a couple of whole strawberries to decorate the dish before serving the risotto.
On a cutting board, finely chop the shallot. Take a large saucepan, melt and heat the butter with the extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped shallot. Let it sauté gently (on low heat) until it becomes transparent. Add the strawberries and cook them over low heat for about 10 minutes, then pour them into a bowl and set aside.
Add a drizzle of oil to the saucepan, add the rice and toast it for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent it from sticking. When the grains are translucent, deglaze with the prosecco.
Once the prosecco has evaporated, start adding the very hot vegetable broth, about one ladle at a time. Continue stirring and add more broth only when the previous one has been absorbed. After about ten minutes, add the strawberries and continue stirring gently to blend the flavors. Proceed like this until the rice is al dente (it will take about 15-18 minutes in total).
When the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream, pecorino, and grated parmesan. Stir vigorously to cream the risotto, making it creamy.
Serve the strawberry risotto on plates, decorating with the whole strawberries sliced and set aside and some fresh mint leaves, if desired. Adjust the salt to taste.
The strawberry risotto is a dish that surprises with its simplicity and elegance. Enjoy from Silvana
Tips
You can make homemade vegetable broth with fresh vegetables for a tastier and more natural result.
Choose strawberries that are perfectly ripe, you will get a more intense and harmonious flavor.
Use a high-quality prosecco or dry white wine to deglaze the rice, this will give the dish a more refined aromatic note.
Variants
Add some chopped and stewed asparagus to the strawberry risotto for a colorful spring variant.
If you like a sweet and sour flavor, finish with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar of Modena for a pleasant sweet and sour note to the dish.
