Verdure Risotto al Limone
Our Verdure Risotto al Limone is creamy and satisfying, with a bright lemon zing. It's a quick Italian meal you can have on the table in 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1.5 liters vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 300 grams Arborio rice
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup fresh peas
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Warm 1.5 liters vegetable broth in a saucepan over medium heat and keep it at a gentle simmer. This ensures the broth is hot when added to the rice.
- Finely dice 1 medium onion. Finely chop 2 cloves garlic. Cut 2 medium zucchini and 2 medium carrots into small, uniform cubes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Add the finely chopped garlic to the pan and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant. Make sure not to burn the garlic.
- Add the 300 grams Arborio rice to the pan and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, toasting the grains until the edges become translucent but the center is still opaque.
- Pour in 120 ml dry white wine. Stir continuously until all the wine has been absorbed by the rice. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving behind a subtle flavor.
- Add the cubed zucchini and carrots to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to combine them with the rice.
- Begin adding the warm vegetable broth, one ladleful (about 0.5 cup) at a time, to the rice. Stir frequently, allowing each addition of broth to be almost completely absorbed before adding the next. This process usually takes about 18-20 minutes.
- After about 10 minutes of adding broth, stir in 1 cup fresh peas. Continue adding broth and stirring until the rice is creamy and al dente (tender with a slight bite in the center). You might not use all the broth, or you might need a little more.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese, the zest of 1 lemon, the juice of 0.5 lemon, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper. Stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes until the risotto is creamy and glossy (this process is called mantecatura).
- Finely chop 0.25 cup fresh parsley.
- Divide the Verdure Risotto al Limone among 4 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of the fresh parsley and a thin slice of the remaining 0.5 lemon on the side. Serve immediately.