This Lemon Risotto is creamy and comforting while also being fresh and bright. It has shredded squash that melts in with the rice to make it a bit heartier while still keeping it vegetarian. It's a labor of love because you need to be pretty attentive to the whole process (overall takes about 20-25 minutes), but It's truly a delicious vegetarian main dish.
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Ingredients
Quantities for this creamy lemon risotto recipe can be found at the end of this post.
- Squash/Zucchini: yellow summer squash or zucchini both work great.
- Arborio rice: the best rice for risotto – it holds up texture-wise to stay al dente while also being tender, and helps create a creamy starchy sauce.
- Vegetable broth: the liquid that’ll bring everything together. Vegetable stock is also fine.
- Chicken stock / chicken broth also work.
- Onion: creates the base of the flavor,
- Garlic: a few cloves brings a depth of flavor.
- Lemon zest and juice: the use of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest bring so much flavor and acidity to this naturally creamy dish that makes it so good.
- Parsley: finishes off the dish with a fresh herby element. Other fresh herbs that also work are basil, thyme, and sage.
- Parmesan cheese: a hint of cheesy saltiness that helps make the sauce extra creamy.
- Extra virgin olive oil: to sauté the onion and garlic.
Step by step instructions
This easy lemon risotto follows a traditional risotto cooking process - sauté some onion and garlic (+ anything else!) then slowly cook the rice with hot broth.
1. Cook the onion. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent – 4 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini. To the onions add the shredded zucchini and cook until starting to soften – 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and salt. Then add the garlic and salt to the pot and cook until very fragrant - 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the rice. Add the dry raw rice and cook for 2 minutes until it’s starting to look toasty and absorbs a bit of the excess oil.
5. Add a cup of stock in increments. Add the liquid in roughly 1-cup increments. Stir constantly so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. When it’s 90% absorbed, add the next cup. Continue doing this process until the entirety of the liquid is used and the rice is tender.
6. Add the lemon and parmesan. Once the last batch of liquid is just about absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve the finished dish with fresh parsley.
Tips and tricks
Check out the tips below to nail this lemon parmesan risotto – it's one of my favorite dishes for the late summer season (or honestly any season) because it is cozy and comforting while also being fresh bright.
- Keep the stock warm in a medium saucepan a separate burner over low heat, this will help keep a standardized cooking temperature, promote consistent liquid absorption and overcooking.
- Add the garlic last when sautéing because it burns more quickly.
- Zest the lemon before you juice it otherwise it’ll be hard to zest
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the risotto so you don't scratch the bottom of your pan with metal.
- If your broth is finished before the rice is fully cooked, you can supplement with a little water until it's cooked through.
Storage and reheating
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, mixing halfway, until warmed through.
What to serve with lemon risotto
- If you're looking for a complimentary main dish, the below would be great
- Grilled rosemary lamb chops
- Turkey or chicken meatballs (can be served right on top of the risotto)
- Breaded chicken cutlet
- If you're looking for a side dish, the below options would pair nicely
- Roasted broccoli or cauliflower
- Tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic and EVOO
- Garlic bread
- Bruschetta
- Kale salad
FAQs
You do not! You actually need to avoid rinsing your rice for risotto because the starch is what helps thicken the broth and make risotto super silky.
Any kind of short-grain rice is fair game, arborio is just traditional and has a really nice thick creamy texture.
I believe the secret is constant stirring because this promotes even cooking of the rice and distribution of the stock for the ultimate creaminess.
You absolutely can, it’ll make the end result extra luscious, but I don’t find it necessary in this recipe because we’re looking for the balance of creamy and fresh.
Since you can cook rice in the instant pot, you can "cheat" the recipe and add some lemon, zucchini, and parmesan, but I wouldn't consider that risotto In the classic sense. Here's a recipe with mushrooms if you want to try it out.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Risotto with Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion minced, about ½ a large onion
- 1 cup summer squash grated, about 1 squash
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent – 4 minutes.
- To the onions add the shredded zucchini and cook until starting to soften – 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the garlic and salt to the pot and cook until very fragrant - 1-2 minutes.
- Add the dry raw rice and cook for 2 minutes until it’s starting to look toasty and absorbs a bit of the excess oil.
- Add the broth in roughly 1-cup increments. Stir constantly so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. When it’s 90% absorbed, add the next cup. Continue doing this process until the entirety of the liquid is used and the rice is tender.
- Once the last batch of liquid is just about absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve the finished dish with fresh parsley.
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