Risotto con zucchini

Aside from being one of the most delicious dishes on earth, there are several other reasons I love risotto.  The possibilities of what you can add to it are endless;  it can be a side dish or your main entreé;  it's an easy technique; and, it's the perfect therapy for those cooks who feel the urge to stir the pot every nanosecond.

I'm cooking another recipe from this beautiful cookbook "Twelve ~ A Tuscan Cook Book"  by Tessa Kiros.  It's 'Rice is Nice' week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  If you pop over there you can read all about Tessa and see what the other gals selected for this week's recipe.

Here we have all of our ingredients ready to go.  The stock is on the burner getting hot.  Ready to throw in the other bit pot are the onions, garlic, zucchini, parsley, basil, arborio rice, wine, butter, and Parmesan cheese.

 In hot olive oil, sauté the onion until it begins to soften

 Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute

 Toss in your zucchini and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat with the olive oil.  Toss in half of the parsley and basil and combine.

 Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon, which will become your best friend, so that the rice is coated with the oil.  Let cook for a couple of minutes.  Pour the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated. 

A little side note here...  see this little gadget attached to the rim of the dutch oven?  It's one of my favorites and is the handiest little thing ever to hold your cooking utensil!!  Christanne & Char are always giving me fun and useful gadgets for the kitchen.   Okay, back to cooking.

 Begin to add stock to the rice a ladle or two at a time.  Stir with your wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so the rice doesn't stick.  When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, add some more ladle by ladle.  See how there is still liquid when I push my spoon across the bottom of the pot?

 Now, see how the liquid has absorbed?  It's magic.

 Once your rice has reached the consistency that you want, which is creamy, yet slightly firm and a little bit of liquid left, you can finish off your risotto.  Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese and the remaining parsley and basil leaves.

See how creamy this is?  Delicious!  Here's the recipe for you.

Risotto con Zucchini
Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable stock
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, peeled & finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped
1 pound, 5 ounces small zucchini (courgettes) trimmed & finely sliced
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
about 6 basil leaves, roughly torn
1 pound, 2 ounces risotto rice
1 cup white wine
1-3/4 ounce butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Mise en Place:

• Pour stock in large pot and begin heating on stove
• chop onion
• chop garlic
• slice zucchini
• chop parley
• tear basil
• measure out your wine, butter and Parmesan

Method:
Heat the stock in a saucepan on the stovetop.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed separate saucepan suitable for risotto, and add the onion.  Sauté until it has softened slightly, then add the garlic.

Sauté for another minute.  Add the zucchini slices, season with salt and pepper, and cook on a gentle heat for a few minutes.  Toss in half of the chopped parsley and basil.  Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat with a wooden spoon, cooking for a minute or two.

Add the wine and when it has evaporated, add a ladleful or two of hot stock.  Stir, taking care to move all the rice at the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking.  When the rice has absorbed the liquid, add more stock and stir.

Continue in this way until the rice has achieved the right consistency, which should be creamy, yet slightly firm and a little liquid.  If you run out of broth, continue with hot water.  Taste the risotto after 20 minutes -- it may need another 5 minutes or so.

Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, the remaining parsley and basil leaves.  Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

I am sharing this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs