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When the late spring/early summer harvest was traditionally made, a range of fresh veggies and herbs broke the long winter diet of bread, pasta, canned or pickled goods, cheeses, and preserved meats.
In Italy the tradition for this time of year has been to make pasta primavera, a dish that uses these new veggies to the best advantage by combining them with pasta. Thanks to grocery stores we can enjoy much of this bounty all year long. In this risotto version all those wonderful fresh, sweet vegetable flavors come through in the creamy-starchy base of the rice.
To make this recipe even creamier we’ve also added some cheese, too. If you leave it out this will still be a wonderfully creamy dish since the arborio rice used for risotto is slow cooked to release its starch.
This risotto primavera includes broccoli, cauliflower, peas, yellow squash, and carrots. You can use whatever is in season or what you have on hand to make this special dish all your own. You can add in any frozen veggies you love, too. Just remember to give the denser vegetables time to cook in the pan before you add the rice so they cook all the way through.
To keep this vegetarian we’re using vegetable broth, but you can use any type of stock you’d like here. Any stock will enhance the flavors of risotto so you can use the one you like best.
For a fresh taste of veggies any time this risotto primavera is a flavorful change of pace from some of the heavier meat dishes that are so popular in Italian cuisine.
Risotto Primavera
Allergens: Milk
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3/4 cup chopped cauliflower
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 yellow squash, cubed
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 5 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- pinch white pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Preparation
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in stockpot on medium heat. Add carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, squash to pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened. Stir in salt and pepper and remove from pan for later. Wipe out hot pan with paper towel and some tongs.
- Heat butter over medium heat. Add rice and onion to pan. Stir and toast until rice is fragrant and golden, but not burned- about 1 minute. Add wine and half the broth and stir rice well. Cook until liquid is reduced, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add 1 cup more broth and stir again. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add remaining broth and increase heat to medium high. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until rice is creamy and has just begun to break down into a starchy sauce. If at any time rice seems dry add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water or broth and stir. Add cooked vegetables and peas. Cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and dill then and stir.
