Risotto is an Italian cooking technique used for the native Mediterranean rice of arborio. Universally popular, partly because it's such an easy dish to prepare and partly because there are endless variations. This receipe for pesto and lemon risotto with grilled mushrooms will delight vegetarians.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 250g arborio risotto rice
- Good splash of white wine
- 850ml fresh vegetable stock, hot
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges to serve
- 4 tbsp green or red pesto
- 40g vegetarian Parmesan, grated, plus extra shavings to serve
- 8 large field or flat chestnut mushrooms
Method
- 1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
- 2. Add the rice, stir for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and bubble until evaporated. Add half the stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until most of the stock has been absorbed.
- 3. Add the remaining stock and repeat, cooking for a further 10-12 minutes, until the rice is cooked but still has a slight bite to it.
- 4. Stir in the lemon zest and half the pesto and cook for 1 minute.
- 5. Remove from the heat, stir in the grated Parmesan and season to taste.
- 6. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Place the mushrooms in a grill pan, dot with the remaining pesto and season. Grill for 5 minutes until tender.
- 7. Divide the mushrooms and risotto between 4 shallow bowls. Serve with Parmesan shavings and lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 432kcals, 15.9g fat (6.2g saturated), 12.7g protein, 59.3g carbs, 3.3g sugar, 1.2g salt
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: the wine has to be an Italian white – try premium Soave, which has a light herby note.