Spring Vegetable Risotto

Serves: 2-3

Risotto just has to be one of the tastiest dishes around. Not only does it make a great meal for dinner parties, but, because of the creamy texture of the rice, it’s also the perfect comfort food. I’ve used green spring vegetables, such as asparagus and courgettes, to give this risotto freshness and colour.

Ingredients

½ tsp olive oil
4 dsp spring onions – finely chopped
1 green chilli – deseeded and finely chopped
275g/10oz risotto rice
zest of 2 lemons
150ml/¼pt dry white wine
570ml/1pt light vegetable stock
1 courgette – diced
225g/8oz asparagus tips
1 dsp yoghurt or cream
1 dsp parsley – finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g/1oz freshly grated Parmesan

Method

Lightly steam the courgettes and asparagus for 2-3 minutes until tender. Set to one side.

Spray the pan with the oil. Add the spring onions and chilli and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon zest and rice and stir until the rice is well mixed and coated.

Now add the wine and half of the stock and cook gently. Stir continuously until the stock is almost completely absorbed. Now add the courgettes and asparagus and a little more stock. Continue adding the stock, a little at a time, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed.

The risotto should now look quite creamy and the rice should be tender, though it should have some bite. If the rice is not cooked, add a little more stock and continue cooking. It should take approximately 10-12 minutes for all the stock to be absorbed and for the rice to cook.

When the rice is cooked, add the cream or yoghurt and parsley and season to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan.

Tip: If possible, use fresh stock in your risotto – it does make all the difference.