Courgette, Pea and Lemon Risotto

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion or 2 shallots, very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 300g risotto rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli
• 150ml dry white wine, optional
• 2 medium courgettes, finely diced
• 200g peas, fresh or frozen
• 50g butter
• 50g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of ½–1 lemon, to taste
• Small handful mint or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, optional
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Warm the stock

Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan and keep it on a low heat. It does not need to be aggressively boiling — just hot enough that it does not slow everything down when added to the rice.

2. Start the base

In a wide saucepan or deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-low heat. Add the onion or shallots with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Toast the rice

Stir in the risotto rice and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring well, until the grains are lightly coated and starting to look slightly translucent at the edges.

If using the wine, pour it in now and let it bubble away until mostly absorbed.

4. Build the risotto

Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring regularly and allowing each addition to be mostly absorbed before adding the next. Keep going like this for around 15 minutes.

5. Add the courgettes and peas

Once the rice is partway cooked, stir in the courgettes. Continue adding stock and stirring for another 5–7 minutes, then add the peas for the final few minutes of cooking.

You want the rice tender with a little bite left in the middle, and the whole thing loose enough to gently spread on the plate rather than sit there like wallpaper paste.

6. Finish properly

Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Mix well, then taste.

Add more lemon juice if it needs extra brightness, and season with salt and black pepper. Stir through the chopped mint or parsley if using.

Put the lid on and leave it for 2 minutes before serving. This small pause is worth your patience.

7. Serve

Spoon into warm bowls and finish with a little extra Parmesan, black pepper, and perhaps a final touch of lemon zest if you are feeling well organised.

A couple of helpful notes

- If you want deeper courgette flavour, fry half of it separately until golden and stir it through at the end.
- Carnaroli will give you a slightly silkier finish, but Arborio is absolutely fine.
- Do not let the lemon bully the dish. It is there to lift and sharpen, not take over the room.