Zucchini Tomato Risotto Recipes

CREAMY ITALIAN ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium size pan add olive oil, zucchine, onion, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and 1/4 cup water, cook uncovered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the zucchini are tender (and a little golden) and water has evaporated, (approximately 15-20 minutes, after about 15 minutes if there is still a lot of water remaining turn heat up a little), when done, remove from heat and with a fork coarsely mash the zucchini mixture.
• In a large pot add the broth and heat until hot.
• Meanwhile, in a large pan on medium low heat melt the butter, add the rice and stir to combine, cook on medium heat for 30-45 seconds, then add continuously one cup at a time** the broth as it evaporates and the rice cooks, (this can take up to 30 minutes) stirring often.
• When rice is cooked make sure that it remains slightly moist and creamy, lower heat to very low, gently fold in the zucchini mixture (taste for salt, add if necessary). Remove from heat, gently fold in a tablespoon of butter and parmesan cheese until combined, add the cream, mix gently together, serve immediately with extra freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!
• **add the liquid a cup at a time (because you may not need all the liquid listed if your rice cooks quicker) and there should be a little liquid remaining in the rice when you add more liquid because you don't want the rice to stick to the pan.

LOBSTER RISOTTO WITH SAFFRON, CHERRY TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• For the court-bouillon: Prepare a large pot of boiling water (about 8 quarts). To the water, add the lemon halves, garlic, thyme, coriander seeds, bay leaves, salt and wine. Bring the pot back to a boil, then add the lobster and cook until bright red, 10 minutes. Remove the lobster from the water and set aside to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, remove the tail, claw and knuckle meat and reserve the shells and bodies. Keep 2 pieces of claw meat whole and reserve. Slice 1 tail lengthwise into 4 pieces and reserve. Dice the remaining tail into large chunks along with the remaining claw meat and knuckle meat. Set aside.
• For the risotto: Warm the chicken stock in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the reserved lobster shells and bodies to the stock.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with kosher salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper and saute until the onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the olive oil and onion. Toast the rice, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes and a pinch of salt and stir frequently until the liquid has completely absorbed.
• Begin to add the hot stock, two ladlefuls at a time. Stir frequently until the stock has absorbed into the rice. Add the saffron. Repeat adding the stock two more times until the rice is tender but still has some bite to it. There may be leftover stock. Add the zucchini, diced lobster meat, butter, parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir vigorously to combine. Season with kosher salt to taste.
• To plate, scoop generous portions of risotto into 4 bowls. Halve the reserved pieces of claw meat crosswise to make 4 pieces. Garnish each portion with a piece of lobster claw and tail.

ZUCCHINI TOMATO RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium to large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and cook three minutes.
• Add shallots and cook two more minutes.
• Add remaining oil and lower heat to medium heat.
• Once hot, add rice and stir and cook for two minutes.
• Add garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and pepper flakes and cook one minute.
• Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook one more minute.
• Add wine to deglaze and lower heat to medium low.
• Add the shredded zucchini as well as the canned diced tomatoes with juice and stir.
• Cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes and squash have been absorbed then start adding half a cup of stock at a time, letting each addition get absorbed before adding the next.
• Keep adding the stock in half cup increments until all four cups have been used and the rice is tender. Total cook time from the first step to tender rice is about 30-35 minutes total.
• Remove from heat and stir in the basil, parsley and Parmesan.
• Serve with additional Parmesan cheese over each portion.

ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Risotto will become "creamy" and slightly sticky, yet still firm in the center, or al dente.
• When almost finished, stir in the zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and thyme, adding stock as needed and stirring continuously. Stir in basil and 3 tablespoons cheese just before serving. Divide risotto among 6 bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and season with pepper to taste.

SUMMER SQUASH AND TOMATO RISOTTO

Steps:

• Mince the onion, keeping the onion pieces about the same size as the rice grains. Dice the zucchini, reserving the ends.
• Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Discard the basil leaves. Purée the tomatoes in a food processor or by hand by chopping and mincing the tomatoes on a cutting board until no chunks remain. Set aside ½ cup of Tomato Purée. (Reserve the remainder for another use.)
• Melt 2 tablespoons of cold butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and cook very slowly, until the onion is tender but has taken on no color. In a separate sauce pot, bring vegetable stock to a simmer, and infuse with the zucchini ends and basil stems.
• Add the rice to the butter and onion soffritto and toast, stirring with a spoon, for about 4 minutes. Toast at a low heat; do not let the rice take on color. When the rice is toasted and the grains are a nice white color, add the wine and cook over moderate heat until all the wine is reduced. Set a timer to 16 minutes. Start adding the hot stock to the rice, one ladle at a time, just covering the rice. Repeat, adding more stock, each time the liquid has absorbed into the rice. Continue to stir after each addition of stock and wine. (Note: At the eight-minute mark, move on to step 6.)
• At the eight-minute or halfway mark, add the zucchini. Continue cooking for the final eight minutes while adding the remaining stock. Dice the remaining cold butter and set aside. When the timer goes off, let the rice rest for about thirty seconds but no more, to prevent cooling. Finish by adding the Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tomato Purée, diced butter, and squash blossoms (optional); then stir.
• Season with the salt and adjust the rice with some warm stock if necessary. The final consistency should be creamy and spread slowly on the plate. Serve immediately on warmed plates. Garnish with a chiffonade of mixed basil leaves.
• (Note: If you want to skip making the Tomato Puree, combine 1/2 cup of plain tomato sauce with 1 grated clove of garlic.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Core the tomatoes. With a sharp knife, cut the tomatoes through the equator and lay cut side up on a half-sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. Season the tomatoes with the salt evenly. Cut the garlic into thin slices and place a slice of garlic on each tomato half. Finish with some basil chiffonade on each tomato. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and roast in the oven, 1 1/2 hours.