Strawberry risotto /Risotto alle fragole

I had something else in mind for my new Strawberry Special episode but the weather got pretty horrible and I am not psychologically ready to post about a frozen dessert, no matter how yummy it is. It’s time to play the surprise dish card then!

Strawberry risotto is definitely not new for Italians. I’ve had it before but I was never particularly impressed. Experimenting for the sake of experimenting got the best of me and I thought it might be fun to try something savory with strawberries. Welllll, let’s just say that even my Miss No-Way-I-Am-Going-To-Eat-Veggies-In-Any-Shape-Or-Form devoured it so it really must have been good! The fresh strawberries when served make all the difference and, even if they’re ripe and super sweet, the dish somehow stays savory.  Now I am getting hungry again….

Ingredients

200 gr carrots, finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

400 gr strawberries, cut up

200 gr zucchini (100 gr finely chopped, the remaining 100 gr sliced into discs)

1,5 l vegetable stock (also made with carrot, zucchini and strawberry scraps)

400 gr Arborio rice

Olive oil

A knob of butter

50 gr Parmesan Cheese, grated

Fresh mint, chopped

Salt to taste

 

Risotto:

Cook the onions, carrots and the finely chopped zucchini in a pot with some olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add the rice and roast it for a few minutes. Add half of the cut up strawberries and enough stock to cover the rice and keep adding it from time to time until the rice is cooked. Season it and add the butter and cheese, keep stirring until they melt completely.

Mint zucchini:

Cook the zucchini discs in a good amount of olive oil in small heavy-based, almost frying them but making sure the oil doesn’t get too hot. When they start to get golden brown add the chopped fresh mint and remove them from the oil with a perforated spoon. Salt to taste.

 

Plate up the risotto, add some fresh cut up strawberries and a few mint zucchini. Enjoy it warm and go WOW 🙂