We’re at a seasonal crossroads. The calendar says “fall” but the summer heat lingers. Sure, we have a few cool and rainy days but the sun still forces us out of our sweaters occasionally. It’s an odd period to cook for. Soups are returning to our social media feeds like long-lost dear friends but there’s still all that gorgeous late summer produce kicking around. Enter this Buttery Zucchini Risotto – a dish that has one foot in summer and one foot in fall. This is the transition dish we need because we can’t be jumping from caprese salads straight to pot pies. We have got to ease ourselves into the heavier stuff and this risotto will help us do just that.
This Buttery Zucchini Risotto boasts three whole zucchinis, julienned and slowly cooked until they become one with the creamy arborio rice. The dish is accented with a generous shredding of Parmigiano Reggiano, a knob of butter, and a splash of dry vermouth. Finished with finely chopped squash blossoms and some shredded cured egg yolk, this dish is dressed in golden and green splendor – perfect for the early autumn.
The first thing I’m going to do is direct you to the cured egg yolks because they take some time. They are of course optional if you don’t have said time. But I will say they are a nice touch in this dish. Sure, they require an overnight in a tomb of salt and a lengthy drying out in a keep-warm oven, but they last for months and they taste incredible. So, I’ll leave it up to you. Omitting them will in no way alter the finished dish.
Now, let’s make the actual risotto. First, we will set up some boring boxed stock up for success. I mean, if you have some stellar homemade stock on hand use that. But if the best you have is the store-bought stuff, don’t fret because we’re going to make it better. Pour the stock into a large pot. Add two crushed cloves of garlic, two bay leaves, and a parm rind.
Yes, the rind from your Parmigiano Reggiano, it’s a miracle worker when it comes to flavoring stocks, soups, and sauces. That’s why when I’m at the shop I always try to find a block of cheese with a decent amount of rind. You can also freeze the rind if you happen to reach the end of your cheese before you have a soup, stock, or sauce on your radar.
As I mentioned, this risotto has three whole zucchinis packed into it. So the first thing we’re going to do is julienne the zucchinis. I used a mandolin to do this and I strongly urge you to do the same. You can certainly do this step by hand but it is tedious. Next, grab a handful of shallots and slice them into half-moons. And that’s all your chopping done!
Heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Sauté until they are just translucent and then throw in the rice. Toast the rice until it begins to crackle. Pour in a splash of dry vermouth – this is also optional – and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add the zucchini, another generous pinch of salt, and a bundle of fresh thyme.
And now we begin the process most people dread, the slow ladling in of the stock and the constant stirring. Now, call me crazy but I like this process. I think it’s an excellent exercise in mindfulness. You’re going to have to monotask. Our modern preoccupation with always being available and flying in a million different directions is being put on ice. Plus, the smell! The shallots, the simmering stock – risotto is essentially savory aromatherapy. And as for the stirring constantly, it really doesn’t have to be constant. You can put the spoon down occasionally, just don’t fully walk away. Pour yourself a glass of wine, listen to some chill music, and make yourself some risotto. See? It’s kind of romantic, right?
Once the rice is tender, all that you have to do is turn off the heat and stir in some shredded parm, finely chopped parsley, butter, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Give the risotto a final taste and season with salt accordingly. Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with a shaving of cured egg yolk and finely chopped squash blossoms. And yes the squash blossoms are optional. So don’t fret if you don’t have any.
And that’s everything you need to know about this Buttery Zucchini Risotto. This gold and green jewel gives a warm welcome to the fall without giving summer the cold shoulder. In other words, this is the perfect early cozy season nosh.
Enjoy!
Buttery Zucchini Risotto
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Large skillet
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 shallots halved, thinly sliced
- 1¼ cups arborio rice
- 3 zucchinis julienned
- ¼ cup dry vermouth optional
- 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme tied together using butcher's twine
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano shredded
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ lemon juiced
- 4-5 squash blossoms finely chopped, optional
- 1 cured egg yolk** shredded, optional
Instructions
- Pour the vegetable stock into a large pot. Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and Parmigiano Reggiano rind. Place the pot over high heat and bring the stock up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.6 cups vegetable stock, 2 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the shallots are just translucent.2 tbsp olive oil, 5 shallots
- Add the rice to the skillet and toast until it begins to crackle and emits a nutty aroma. Add the zucchini and another pinch of salt. Sauté for a minute or two and then pour in the dry vermouth. Add the bundle of thyme and stir until all the liquid is absorbed.1¼ cups arborio rice, 3 zucchinis, ¼ cup dry vermouth, 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
- Add a ladle or two of the simmering stock to the rice and stir once again until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step until all of the stock has been used and/or the rice is tender. You may not need to use all of the stock.
- When the rice is tender, take the risotto off of the heat and add the Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, butter, and lemon juice. Stir until the cheese melts. Taste and season with additional salt accordingly.½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, ½ cup fresh parsley, 2 tbsp butter, ½ lemon
- Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with the squash blossoms and the cured egg yolks, if using.*** Serve immediately.4-5 squash blossoms, 1 cured egg yolk**
