Lemon Risotto is a creamy and flavorful first course, easy and quick to prepare but with a taste and aroma that few other risottos can boast.
If you like fresh and light first courses, don’t forget to check out these recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 524.25 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 74.68 (g) of which sugars 2.16 (g)
- Proteins 16.70 (g)
- Fat 14.48 (g) of which saturated 0.18 (g)of which unsaturated 0.35 (g)
- Fibers 1.65 (g)
- Sodium 540.58 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 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 2 people
- 6.3 oz Carnaroli rice
- 1/2 glass lemon (organic untreated)
- 1/4 glass dry white wine
- 4.2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 robiola
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pan 8 inches
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Citrus juicer
- 1 Grater
Procedure
The secret to a creamy and flavorful lemon risotto lies in the final stirring at the end of cooking to add aroma, while the secret for adding scent is the hot lemon zest on the risotto.
For a good risotto, the first step is a good broth. If you have time, prepare this homemade vegetable broth recipe.
If you don’t have time, use ready-made broth or prepare it with vegetable stock cubes.
To make the lemon risotto creamy, it is crucial to toast the rice over high heat (without any other ingredients) until it becomes hot, which only takes a couple of minutes. It’s an easy process.
Stir the rice to prevent it from burning. After a couple of minutes, it is toasted and ready for the recipe.
Deglaze the risotto with room temperature white wine. Add the wine little by little to infuse flavor without drowning the rice.
When you no longer smell the wine’s acidic aroma, you can add the hot broth.
Once the white wine has evaporated, add the hot broth one ladle at a time and continue cooking the rice according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The broth must be hot so as not to stop the rice cooking; cold broth will halt the cooking and extend the time.
Squeeze the lemon and collect its filtered juice with a strainer to remove seeds or pulp.
Use a grater to collect the lemon zest; it will be used in the final part of the recipe, placing it on the hot risotto to release its fragrance.
When there are 5 minutes left, add the lemon juice and complete the cooking. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir it with a spoonful of robiola and ¾ of the lemon zest.
Robiola is creamier and has a more acidic taste than butter, complementing the lemon well.
Sprinkle the risotto with the remaining grated lemon zest, and the heat of the risotto will release an extraordinary aroma.
Your lemon risotto is ready!
Plating Suggestions:
Place the risotto in a deep dish and top with the zest flakes that were set aside earlier. It’s a simple dish, with a light white color thanks to the robiola and lemon juice, enriched by the golden flakes of lemon zest.
Wine Pairing for Lemon Risotto:
I recommend pairing the lemon risotto with an aromatic white wine with medium acidity, such as a Gewürztraminer, which intrigues with its tropical and spicy aromas, captivating from the first sip.
