This Risotto Primavera recipe showcases the freshness and variety of spring in a bowl loaded with asparagus, peas, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes.
Risotto Primavera
Risotto, a classic Italian favorite known for its creamy texture, is made even more delightful with the addition of crisp, fresh spring vegetables. It’s a perfect blend of the comforting arborio rice with the fresh, vibrant flavors of the season’s produce. Here I served this easy Risotto Primavera as a vegetarian main dish but you can also halve the recipe and portion to serve as a side dish with fish, chicken breast, seafood, and more. For more simple risotto recipes, try my Instant Pot Risotto with Prosciutto and Peas and Spring Asparagus Risotto.
Is risotto a pasta or a rice?
There is no pasta in risotto. Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked low and slow until it’s creamy.
What is risotto primavera made of?
Ingredients: (See exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Broth: Use homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. I have this homemade chicken broth recipe if you want to make your own.
- Olive Oil to sauté the onion and garlic in
- Rice: Risotto is typically made from arborio rice, a short-grain Italian rice.
- Wine: Use a good-quality dry white wine, like pinot grigio or chardonnay.
- Vegetables: Primavera risotto wouldn’t be complete without a mix of spring veggies. I use zucchini, thawed, frozen peas, asparagus, and cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Salt seasons the vegetables
- Basil adds freshness and color.
- Butter: Stir in a little butter at the end for extra creaminess.
- Cheese: Mix in grated Pecorino Romano and sprinkle some on top before serving.
- Pepper: Top the risotto primavera with freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Risotto Primavera
- Warm the broth in a saucepan before cooking the risotto.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for a few minutes until soft.
- Add the rice and cook until the grains are translucent. Pour in the white wine and cook until it’s absorbed.
- Slowly add the broth: Pour a ladle of broth into the pot and cook until it’s absorbed, stirring the rice. Continue to mix in the broth, cooking until the broth is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
- Spring Vegetables: Add the zucchini, peas, tomatoes, asparagus, and salt about five minutes before the rice is done. The entire process should take 20 to 25 minutes, and the risotto should be loose and creamy but not runny. You can overcook risotto, so once you hit 20 minutes, taste the risotto to see if it’s ready.
- Final Touches: Turn off the heat, stir in the butter and cheese, sprinkle with chopped, fresh basil, and season with freshly ground pepper.
Variations
- For extra flavor, add diced pancetta with the onions.
- Liquid: Use water instead of broth.
- Wine: If you don’t drink wine, omit it and use more broth.
- Onion: Sub red onion or shallots.
- Zucchini: Swap zucchini with yellow squash.
- Herbs: Substitute dill or tarragon.
- Cheese: Replace Pecorino with Parmigiano Reggiano.
- For more protein, add chicken to this risotto primavera.
What is the secret to the best risotto?
There are a few tricks for making the best risotto primavera.
- Buy the correct rice. Arborio is the most popular, but there are other short-grain Italian rice, like carnaroli and vialone nano.
- Use heated broth, which will help the temperature remain stable and ensure the risotto cooks evenly.
- Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. However, don’t stir too much because the rice can become goopy—taking occasional breaks is OK.
What to Serve with Risotto Primavera
This healthy risotto primavera recipe is a beautiful spring side dish or vegetarian main entrée. If you want to serve this as a side dish, it would go great with:
Storage
Since the vegetarian risotto primavera contains no meat, leftovers will keep in the fridge for 5 days. Microwave it for about a minute until warm or heat it on the stove. If the rice has dried out, you may need to add a splash of broth or water.
More Risotto Recipes You’ll Love
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- 7 1/2 to 8 cups hot vegetable broth, or chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves mined garlic
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 3/4 cups Arborio rice, or other short-grain Italian rice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/3 cup cherry , or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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Keep the broth warm in a small pot.
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Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until it’s soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice, and stir to coat.
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Cook until the rice grains are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, and cook until it’s absorbed.
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Add a ladle full of broth or water to cover, cook until it’s absorbed, and give the rice a good stir.
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Continue to add the broth and mix as the broth is absorbed until the rice is al dente, adding the zucchini, peas, tomatoes and asparagus, 1/4 teaspoon salt for the last 5 minutes. The process should take about 20 to 25 minutes from the first addition of liquid, with the final product still a bit loose and creamy, but not runny.
Last Step:
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If you don’t drink wine, omit and use more broth.
Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 303 kcal, Carbohydrates: 51 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 6.5 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 12 mg, Sodium: 338.5 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 5.5 g