Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

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Cooking Foods – Italian Recipes Secrets – Risotto

Ingredients:

Rice (Carnaroli or Arboreo) – one pound

Zucchini – two

Onion – one

Garlic – two cloves

Carrot – two

Basil – few leaves

Parsley – few leaves

Lardo (salty fat from pork belly)or Pancetta – 4 oz (100 gr)

Extra virgin olive oil – three-four spoons

Balsamic vinegar – few drops

Tomato juice – one glass

White wine – one glass

Marine salt

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

 

 

Peel garlic, carrot and onion, wash zucchini.

 

 

 

 

Cut the flower and stem of zucchini.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We use flower and stem to make the broth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut them in pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any part dirty or which doesn’t look fresh has to be discarded in the garbage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put in a pot two liters of water, half onion, half carrot, two garlic cloves and the residual from zucchini.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boil to make the broth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let it boil five minutes set off the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

Cut a thick slice of lardo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut in pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showing the thickness: the fat has to melt while cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the lardo pieces in to the pot where we are going to make the risotto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drop the carrot (chopped) to roast too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the zucchini.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the zucchini to fry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the chopped half onion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While frying add two pinches of marine salt.

 

 

 

 

 

Stir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add few drops of balsamic vinegar, stir.

Actually the zucchini should be roasted taking a typical brawn color.

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

It is time to chop garlic, basil and parsley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chop small with a knife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix it with zucchini.

Fry two minutes only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

 

It is better if you keep the broth hot while making risotto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add half glass of the vegetable broth you prepared.

Keep the fire high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir well for one minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you can get few zucchini wheels to use later as decoration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

Drop all the rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix well the rice with the zucchini.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add one glass of broth.

Always stirring, let the rice to cook for two-three minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add one glass of tomato juice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also two-three pinches of marine salt are required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir well and remember: since now you have to keep stirring until the end.

 

 

 

 

 

Stirring the risotto is needed to avoid the rice to adhere to the bottom of the pot.

Check in the picture how the bottom of the pot is clean without anytthing stick on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As soon you see the rice dry you have to add the broth, do this adding only half glass of broth per time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After you added the broth you stir again.

You have to do this operation (adding broth and stirring) many times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like to add few drops of balsamic vinegar: I do it now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promptly mix everything when you add any ingredient to the risotto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again broth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the risotto growing its volume: it will increase three times thanks to the broth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also one glass of white wine is useful to enhance the taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

 

I finish all the broth, sign that the risotto is almost ready.

 

 

 

 

 

The consistance of the rice is excellent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s check the salinity, also I show you how to see if the rice is perfectly cooked al dente.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To check if it is ready I usually chew two-three grains of rice.

I want to show you the internal section of the rice grain so I took a little spoon of risotto then I cut with a sharpen knife few grains: the picture show you in detail the internal section of the grain; the white spot inside the grain is still too big and the rice needs to cook at least three minutes more.

 

 

 

 

I do the same again after three minutes: check the internal white spot; the rice needs to cook one minute more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After one minute the rice is ready: the small white spot inside is needed, after you turn off the fire the risotto still remain very hot for five-six minutes (may be more:  this is upon to your kitchen temperature) this means the risotto own heat still cooks the rice for short time.

As soon as you see the smaller white spot the risotto is ready, anyway I cut the grains of rice only to show you in details the internal part; chow few grains is faster and also useful to check taste and salinity.

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

 

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top, zucchini wheels as decoration.

 

 

 

 

 

 Cooking Foods Italian Recipes: Risotto Zucchini

 

 

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