Summer Squash Risotto and Risotto Cakes
Risotto is one of my favorite things to cook. It’s so versatile, since it tastes good with pretty much any vegetables, mushrooms, or greens added in. It also requires the cook’s full attention, which in turn makes the process meditative and relaxing. Once you learn the basic principles of risotto making, you won’t need to follow a recipe because the core process always stays the same. It’s such a great dish for practicing intuitive cooking, and the result is luxurious, though made with just a few humble ingredients. This recipe includes summer squash and zucchini, which are both so abundant in the summer. The beautiful, velvety texture of cooked summer squash almost melts into the risotto, making it that much more lush.
I also included the recipe for risotto cakes, which is my absolute favorite thing to make with leftover risotto. Sometimes, I even make risotto just to make the cakes. They turn out crispy on the outside, molten inside, and so addictive.
Summer Squash Risotto
serves 4
olive oil
3 medium summer squash or zucchini (or a combination), sliced into rounds or half-moons for bigger veg
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced (or an onion’s size equivalent in leeks, shallots, spring onions)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-6 cups hot vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1/4 cup ‘parm,’ plus more for garnishing (optional, see note)
fresh basil or other herbs of choice, for garnishing
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and let it warm up. Add the zucchini/summer squash and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the squash in the oil and salt, and saute for 25-30 minutes, until very soft and browned in parts. Season with pepper to taste.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil to coat the bottom well. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, saute for 7-10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and stir it around until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and mix well to coat it with the oil. Toast the rice, stirring constantly, until the rice grains are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine, bring it up to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Start adding the hot broth, one ladleful at a time, or enough to just cover the rice. Bring the broth to a simmer and let it absorb into the rice, stirring often, about 2-4 minutes. Once absorbed, add another ladleful of broth and keep repeating this process of letting the broth absorb, then adding more. Stir the rice frequently and vigorously - this will help develop the starches/make the rice creamy. Continue cooking, until the rice is creamy and al dente. The whole cooking process should take 25-30 minutes total from the first addition of broth. Mix in the cooked zucchini/summer squash at about the second to last addition of broth. Turn off the heat, mix in the ‘parm,’ if using. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve the risotto right away, garnished with basil and more ‘parm,’ if using.
Note
To make vegan ‘parm,’ combine 1 cup cashews or slivered almonds, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Process until fine and crumbly. Sprinkle on everything for a cheesy, salty flavor. Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Risotto Cakes
Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).
Use leftover risotto that’s been in the fridge at least overnight or longer. Optionally, add some breadcrumbs to your leftover risotto and mix to combine, until you have a mixture that's easy to form into cakes. The exact amount of the breadcrumbs doesn't matter - I usually eyeball about 1/3 of the volume of the risotto I have.
Measure out the cakes using a 1/4 cup measure, put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and flatten out a bit with a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the cakes and bake for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Serve as is or with your favorite sauce (I like a mustard-maple mayo).
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
Treat risotto as a versatile base for utilizing all kinds of seasonal goodies. Pretty much any vegetables, greens, or mushrooms that do well with being cooked can be added to risotto. Denser, starchier vegetables and mushrooms should be pre-cooked ahead of time (sauteed, roasted, or steamed), since they won’t have a chance to fully cook through in the risotto. Delicate vegetables like greens, peas, asparagus, green beans can be cooked directly in risotto, just add them in towards the end of the cooking time.