If you’re looking for a main dish that combines the creaminess of a good risotto with the taste of pesto, this recipe is for you. The arugula and zucchini pesto risotto I’m suggesting today is a simple yet impressive dish, perfect for a family lunch but also to surprise your guests or simply to treat yourself with something good and original. The pesto used in this recipe envelops the rice grains with its softness and gives the dish a very pleasant taste and a nice green note. The result is an elegant, delicious, and very easy to prepare risotto. In short… an alternative way to use pesto and serve a main dish that everyone will love.
Other creamy risottos you might be interested in:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients for Arugula Risotto
For vegetarians, simply replace the Grana/Parmigiano with a similar cheese made with vegetable rennet.
- 1 1/2 cups Carnaroli rice
- 1 green onion
- 3.4 oz dry white wine
- vegetable broth
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups arugula
- 1 zucchini (medium)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup Grana Padano DOP (or Parmigiano)
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
- 1 Blender
Preparation of Arugula Risotto
Wash the arugula and set aside a few leaves for decorating the dish.
Then prepare the arugula and zucchini pesto following the recipe described HERE. Follow the entire procedure, but with the quantities I indicated above (practically half a dose).
Dilute the prepared pesto with a few tablespoons of the vegetable broth that you will use to cook the rice. Set it aside.
In a large pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the finely chopped green onion. Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes, then pour in the white wine and let it evaporate.
At this point, start adding the hot broth, one ladle at a time as the previous one is absorbed, and bring the risotto to cooking, stirring it from time to time.
When the cooking is almost complete, add the prepared pesto and stir carefully to perfectly blend all the ingredients.
Serve the arugula and zucchini risotto on individual plates, garnish it with a few fresh arugula leaves, season with freshly ground black pepper, and serve it immediately, hot. Enjoy! Paola
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