Creamy Zucchini Risotto with Lemon, Parmesan & Pine Nuts in Stainless Steel Pan

Step 1 of 7: Prepare the ingredients

 

Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan and keep it hot just below simmering point throughout the preparation. This helps the risotto rice cook evenly and keeps the temperature in the pan constant.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry stainless steel pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden brown and lightly fragrant. Shake the pan regularly, as pine nuts colour quickly. Then remove and set aside.

Wash the courgettes. Coarsely grate one courgette – it will later give the risotto its naturally creamy texture, so it should not be squeezed out. Cut the second courgette into cubes of about 1 cm. These are fried separately and give the finished dish a pleasant bite and delicate roasted flavours.

Peel and finely dice the shallot, then finely chop the garlic. Wash the organic lemon in hot water and finely grate the zest. Finely grate the Parmesan, setting a little aside for serving later if you like.

Step 2 of 7: Fry the courgette until golden brown

 

Preheat the stainless steel pan over medium heat. Only add the olive oil once it is properly heated.

Fry the courgette cubes for 4–5 minutes until lightly browned all over and still slightly firm to the bite. Searing them well creates delicate roasted flavours that will later form a lovely contrast to the creamy risotto.

Season with a little salt and pepper, then remove from the pan. Set aside a few particularly nicely browned courgette cubes for serving later.

Step 3 of 7: Sweat the rice

 

Reduce the heat slightly and melt the butter in the pan. Sweat the shallot in it until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Now add the risotto rice and sweat for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly. The grains of rice should be coated all over with fat and become slightly translucent. This brief toasting creates a particularly aromatic risotto.

Step 4 of 7: Deglaze with white wine

 

Pour the white wine over the rice and, stirring, let it reduce until almost completely evaporated. This loosens the delicate roasted flavours from the bottom of the pan and lets them combine with the rice. Only use the hot vegetable stock once hardly any liquid is visible.

Step 5 of 7: Cook the risotto until creamy

 

First add one ladle of hot vegetable stock to the rice. As soon as the liquid has been almost completely absorbed, add the next ladle of stock. Repeat this process until the rice is cooked to a creamy consistency after about 18–20 minutes.

Stir regularly, but not continuously. This allows the rice to gradually release its starch and gives the risotto its typical creamy texture.

About halfway through the cooking time, stir in the grated courgette. It will almost completely break down as it cooks and make the risotto especially creamy, without any extra cream being needed. Towards the end of the cooking time, taste the rice – it should be soft but still have a slight bite in the centre.

Step 6 of 7: Finish the risotto

 

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest and, if you like, a small knob of cold butter. This so-called mantecatura brings all the ingredients together into an especially creamy risotto.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the risotto is a little too thick, stir in a small splash of hot vegetable stock. It should flow softly and creamy from the spoon, not sit compactly on the plate.

Step 7 of 7: Serve

 

Spoon the courgette risotto onto prewarmed, preferably flat plates and spread it slightly with the back of a spoon. Scatter the fried courgette cubes on top and loosely place the particularly nicely browned cubes that were set aside over them.

Finish with the toasted pine nuts, a few small basil or parsley leaves, a little freshly grated Parmesan and, if you like, a small amount of fresh lemon zest. Serve immediately while the risotto still has its creamy consistency.