Colorful & Creamy Italian Risotto Primavera Recipe
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Risotto Primavera is a satisfying recipe that features a traditional “stand-and-stir” style of risotto complemented by a delicious blend of crisp-tender sautéed vegetables. A mix of onion, peas, carrots, asparagus, yellow squash, and zucchini adds an appealing pop of color, texture, and flavor to the delicious base of creamy risotto.
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Risotto Primavera
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.
Risotto primavera is a classic Italian dish. In Italian, primavera means spring style; with foods, it refers to fresh vegetables.
In this recipe we’ve used onion, peas, carrots, asparagus, yellow squash, and zucchini (courgette), but you could use any seasonal veg you like.
Why not try these other veggies broad beans, green beans, artichokes, broccoli, and red bell pepper when you make the risotto again? (Yes! I’m confident you will want to make this Italian dish again.)
In this recipe, the veggies are sautéed first and then added to the risotto at the end of cooking along with grated Parmesan and some lemon juice to brighten up the dish.
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and parmesan cheese. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. Saffron was originally used for flavour and its signature yellow colour.
Wikipedia
Unlike other rice dishes, risotto needs love and attention given to it. It’s this care that gives risotto its creamy texture.
Standing at the stove while ladeling hot broth into rice and stirring until it is all absorbed, which can take half-an-hour or more (depending on how much risotto you are making) may not seem like the most fun things to do…
BUT, the end results are always worth it, and you’ll feel all of that loving attention in every mouthful!
Risotto is made using a short-grain rice (such as Arborio) which has the ability to absorb more liquid, release more starch, and be more sticky than long-grain rice. This type of rice also helps provide risotto with its creamy consistency.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It doesn’t include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – White Onion, (Frozen) Peas, Carrots, Asparagus, Yellow Squash, Zucchini (Courgette), Lemons, Flat-Leaf Parsley.
- Arborio Rice
- Dry White Wine – use a wine that you enjoy drinking.
- Chicken Broth/Stock – or Vegetable Broth/Stock.
- Parmesan Cheese
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Arborio Rice
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is Arborio Rice, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Rustic Wild Mushroom Risotto
- Lemony Prawn Risotto Recipe – A Delicious Summery Dish!
- Chicken and Bacon Risotto
More Italian Recipes
Looking for more Italian-inspired dishes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- How to Assemble An Italian Charcuterie Board For Parties & Entertaining
- Italian Meatball Soup Recipe
- One-Pan Chicken Cacciatore – Italian Hunter’s Stew
How Do I Make Risotto Primavera?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Risotto Primavera
Risotto Primavera is a satisfying recipe that features a traditional “stand-and-stir” style of risotto complemented by a delicious blend of crisp-tender sautéed vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ cup white onion, chopped small
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup carrots, chopped small
- ⅓ cup asparagus, chopped into 1”/2.5cm pieces
- ⅓ cup yellow squash, chopped small
- ⅓ cup zucchini, chopped small
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4-5 cups. warm chicken or vegetable, divided*
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated + more for serving
- 2 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Add one tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peas, carrots, asparagus, squash, and zucchini, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables are crisp-tender and start to develop some color. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil and the Arborio rice to the pan. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes while stirring continually.
- Reduce heat to medium and pour in the white wine. Deglaze the skillet by gently scraping the bottom with a spatula or wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- When the wine is completely absorbed, add one-half cup warm broth to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continually, until absorbed. Repeat this process with the remaining broth, one-half cup at a time, until the rice is tender and creamy.
- Stir in the sautéed vegetables, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or just until heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley.
- Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
*For a creamier risotto, add additional broth, one-half cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1905Total Fat: 106gSaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 64gCholesterol: 665mgSodium: 1451mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 177g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal!
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: How to Assemble An Italian Charcuterie Board For Parties & Entertaining
- Beverage: Frozen Watermelon Slush
- Dessert: No-Bake Mini Cannoli Pies
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!