Spring Vegetable Risotto with Riso Gallo Rustico

Risotto definitely isn’t just for winter, in fact I think a spring risotto is one of my favourites. I love creating a light, fresh risotto with lots of lovely seasonal vegetables like asparagus, peas and courgettes with some lemon juice to give it a zesty finish, and lift all the flavours which is balanced perfectly with the natural creaminess of the finished dish.

This recipe is using Riso Gallo’s Carnaroli Rustico, a semi-wholegrain brown rice. It has a fabulous texture when cooked, plus it’s higher fibre content makes it a great option for a healthy and balanced diet. That’s why it’s such a great choice for this spring risotto.

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Spring Vegetable Risotto with Asparagus and Peas

Servings: 3-4

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min

A favourite risotto recipe for seasonal veg such as asparagus, courgette and peas - it makes a delicious dinner on its own or to accompany grilled fish or seafood

Ingredients

• 300g of Carnaroli Rustico from Riso Gallo
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of asparagus, stalks chopped, keep the spears separate
• 1 courgette, quartered
• 1 cup of peas
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• Glass of white wine
• 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 30g Butter, or use olive oil
• 30g Parmesan, or alternative hard cheese
• Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Risottos always begin with a soffritto, for this recipe I am just using onion but you in others I often use celery and carrot too. We’re also going to use the asparagus stems in the initial stage of cooking.
2. Add 2tbsp of olive oil for your soffritto, add your onion and gently cook on a low heat. We don’t want to burn the onion so keep moving it and if needed you can add a splash of water. Allow the onion to cook for five minutes so it starts to soften.
3. Next add your asparagus stalks that are chopped into 1cm rounds and your courgette. Cook with the onion for a further five minutes.
4. Increase the heat add your risotto rice, this is the tostatura. This helps to cook the rice perfectly al dente, by sealing the grains of rice. Coat it in the olive oil, and keep the rice morning.
5. Next add a small glass of white wine (or vermouth), this helps to add a little acidity to give risotto its distinctive flavour. However, if you prefer not to cook with alcohol you can add splash of stock and stir the rice until all the liquid is absorbed.
6. Then add about 200ml or a ladleful of hot stock to the pan and continue to stir, until all the liquid is absorbed, and again add 200ml of stock and keep doing this for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring to ensure the starch released doesn’t cause the rice to sick together.
7. Add the juice and zest of half a lemon and continue to cook for a further five minutes. Add any additional stock as required.
8. Now add your asparagus spears, and continue to cook for a final 5 minutes. To help the asparagus cook I pop a lid on to steam them a little, stirring every minute. For the final minute or two add your peas right at the end to help them keep their colour. Taste and season if necessary, adding any additional lemon juice if required.
9. Now it’s time for the mantacatura, a phrase used specifically for risotto taken from the verbs whisking and creaming – this is when we add some fat such as olive oil, butter, or cheese to give the risotto its distinct glossiness and taste. Add the parmesan, and either butter or olive oil, give a good stir, and place a lid (or plate) over your pan and allow it to rest for two minutes.
10. Plate up and top with parmesan. Best served with a chilled white wine!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

576.31

Fat (grams)

24.79

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.10

Carbs (grams)

62.69

Fibre (grams)

15.66

Net carbs

47.03

Sugar (grams)

24.86

Protein (grams)

18.70

Sodium (milligrams)

566.19

Cholesterol (grams)

41.74

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Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe is from one of my Cook Alongs and is part of a paid sponsorship with Riso Gallo.

Carnaroli Rice is known as the King of risotto rice because of its amazing ability to maintain its shape and flavour, and to blend perfectly with all types of ingredients.

 The Carnaroli Rustico from Riso Gallo adds an extra depth to that being semi-wholegrain, its nuttiness and texture make for a healthy and perfect risotto; al dente to bite with a creamy finish,

Find out more about Riso Gallo