Add One Vegetable To Your Risotto For Creamier Results

Risotto has a reputation for decadence. Often made with a dab of butter, a splash of heavy cream, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan, risotto's uniquely creamy texture has as much to do with its cooking technique as its rich, dairy-based ingredients. But despite the careful cooking method involved with making the perfect risotto, the classic recipe can be quite flexible. You can easily bulk up the dish's nutritional heft with fresh asparagus and broad beans in the spring, with pumpkin in the fall, or with mushrooms and roasted garlic in the winter. Some vegetables even have enough water content in and of themselves that they can actually be used as a healthy swap for heavier ingredients without sacrificing any flavor or risotto's distinctly creamy texture. Zucchini is the perfect example.

Normally, when cooking with zucchini, you grate, salt, then strain the veggie before you use it to avoid mushy zucchini bread or watery vegetable lasagna. You can see by how much water you drain away just how moist zucchinis naturally are. But risotto, which is usually cooked with a pot of broth or stock by the ladleful, can use that moisture to its advantage. 

The next time you're looking to prepare a veggie-laden risotto, grate your zucchini and don't drain it. After sautéing your Arborio rice and deglazing with wine, use a scoop of your grated zucchini in place of every other scoop of broth. You'll find you need much less liquid and your mixture will be plenty rich without a splash of heavy cream.

Using a pound or two of grated zucchini is a great way to keep your risotto dish vegan. By toasting your rice in olive oil, cooking it with vegetable stock and zucchini, then omitting any added cheese (though cashew cream would be welcome), you can very closely mimic the original, creamy taste without any dairy. If your diet includes dairy, zucchini risotto doesn't need much by way of cream, but a dollop of ricotta on top of each serving takes the dish's taste to the next level.

Zucchini isn't the only water-laden ingredient that works well in risotto — tomatoes can create a very similar effect (and give the dish a rich, tomato-y taste). Instead of grating zucchini, grate a couple of beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes into a bowl, then discard the skins as you would for a raw tomato sauce recipe. Once again, you'll alternate between adding a scoop of broth with a scoop of tomato "sauce" once you reach that step. This version can also be made vegan just as easily.

So, the next time you're craving risotto but could use a break from its typical heavy decadence, try adding a vegetable. You'll end up with the same creamy dish, but with extra flavor and nutritional value.