Vegan Pesto Risotto With Roasted Zucchini
photo by yanicem
- Ready In:
- 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 17
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup pesto sauce
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
-
For the zucchini
- 1 lb zucchini, Cut into half moons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning)
-
Pesto
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 2 1⁄2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1⁄4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (plus 1 tsp zest)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
directions
- Pesto.
- In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, basil, yeast , lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F for the zucchini, and have ready a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
-
Rissoto:
- Warm the vegetable broth in a saucepan. Keep it warm on the lowest setting possible as you prepare the risotto.
- Preheat a heavy-bottomed 4 quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in oil and a pinch of salt until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the rice and use a wooden spoon to stir and coat with oil. Add the white wine and stir occasionally, until wine is mostly absorbed, 4 minutes or so. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low.
- Add the broth by the cupful, stirring the risotto after each addition until the broth is mostly absorbed (6 to 8 minutes). After 2 cupfuls, add about half of the pesto and stir well, then continue to cook, adding broth by the cupful, stirring, and letting the liquid absorb.
- At some point in there, your oven will be preheated. Toss the zucchini with oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Roast for about 6 minutes on each side, or until softened and lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
- With your last addition of broth, add the remainder of the pesto. Taste for salt and add the other 1/4 teaspoon if needed. Risotto is ready when the rice is chewy but still firm, and the sauce is very creamy. For a firmer risotto, just cook a few minutes extra to absorb more of the liquid.
- To serve: scoop risotto into each bowl, and top with zucchini. Drizzle with extra pesto and garnish with a few toasted pine nuts.
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