Risotto with zucchini pesto and goat cheese
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Serving: 4
PRESENTATION
Risotto al pesto di zucchine e caprino is like northern Italian cuisine in a nutshell—elegant and simple, without too much fuss. Really good stuff. So, this dish has a fresh pesto made from raw zucchini, basil, almonds, and pine nuts. You don't cook the pesto with the rice. Instead, you stir it in at the end. Keeps it fresh. This way, the tender veggies and sweet basil keep their flavors intact. Pretty simple. It keeps the dish light and creamy, giving the risotto al pesto di zucchine a texture that hugs each grain of rice. Seriously good.
And look, this style is popular across northern Italy. Each region might add its own twist—maybe some extra herbs or a different nut, depending on what's around. Plus, fresh goat cheese—or caprino—gets mixed in right at the finish. It melts in, making the risotto zucchine e caprino extra smooth with a tangy kick. So so good. The cheese and zucchini pair beautifully, creating something that's both delicate and light.
People say this compares to other summer risottos like asparagus or peas, but this one has a creamy, almost golden finish because of the goat cheese. Really, you'll find folks in Liguria or Piedmont adding local cheeses or nuts for a personal touch.
Whether you're in Italy or anywhere else, risotto al pesto di zucchine e caprino looks fancy, but it's really easy to make. For sure, it's a favorite for relaxed weeknight dinners or casual get-togethers. If you want something light and a bit special, this dish is the way to go. It's a tasty representation of Italian cooking, offering a flavor that's as inviting as a beautiful Italian summer day. Can't go wrong.
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INGREDIENTS
- Rice 1.67 cups (320 g) - for risottos
- Shallot 1 - small
- Dry white wine 1.4 oz (40 g)
- Vegetable broth to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- for the zucchini pesto
- Zucchini 1 ½ cup (200 g)
- Basil 1 cup (20 g)
- Peeled almonds 0.1 cup (10 g)
- Pine nuts 1 tbsp (10 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 7 tbsp (100 g)
- Fine salt to taste
How to prepare Risotto with zucchini pesto and goat cheese
To make the risotto with zucchini pesto and goat cheese, first prepare the Vegetable broth and keep it warm for the rice cooking. Focus on the zucchini pesto: wash and trim the zucchini, then roughly slice them into rounds 1. In a blender, add the almonds 2 and pine nuts 3.
Add the zucchini as well 4 and half of the oil 5, then blend to create a cream 6.
At this point, add the basil leaves 7 and the remaining oil 8, then blend again until you obtain a homogeneous mixture 9. Set aside the pesto and move on to cooking the risotto.
Clean and finely chop the shallot 10, then brown it in a large pan with a little oil 11; you can add a bit of broth to help you. Once wilted, add the rice 12 and toast it for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
When the grains are hot to the touch, deglaze with the white wine 13 and let the alcohol evaporate completely. Add a ladle of hot broth 14 and cook the rice by adding the broth little by little as it is absorbed; it will take about 10 minutes 15.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and add the zucchini pesto 16, then rinse the container with a ladle of broth and pour it into the pan 17. Finally, blend in the goat cheese 18.
Mix well to combine everything 19, then season with salt 20 and pepper. Garnish with a few basil leaves and serve your risotto with zucchini pesto and goat cheese immediately 21!