Courgette & broad bean risotto with basil pesto

Family Dinners

Nutrition and extra info

  • Freezable
  • Vegetarian

    • Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal698
  • fat31g
  • saturates8g
  • carbs69g
  • sugars5g
  • fibre8g
  • protein25g
  • salt2.4g
  • Ingredients
  • Method

    • Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

    Olive oil

    ol-iv oyl

    Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It’s…

  • 1 tsp butter

    Butter

    butt-err

    Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…

  • 2 medium courgettes (about 350g), cut into 1-2cm dice

    Courgette

    corr-zjet

    The courgette is a variety of cucurbit, which means it’s from the same family as cucumber,…

  • pinch of chilli flakes or pul biber
  • pinch of grated nutmeg

    Nutmeg

    nut-meg

    One of the most useful of spices for both sweet and savoury…

  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced

    Spring onion

    sp-ring un-yun

    Also known as scallions or green onions, spring onions are in fact very young onions, harvested…

  • ½ lemon, zested

    Lemon

    le-mon

    Oval in shape with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile…

  • 150g risotto rice

    Risotto rice

    To create an authentic creamy Italian risotto, the use of specialist rice is imperative. It…

  • 75ml dry white wine or vermouth
  • 750g warm vegetable or chicken stock
  • 80g broad beans, blanched and peeled

    Broad bean

    braw-d be-en

    A member of the legume family, broad beans are pretty hardy and adaptable – they grow in…

  • courgette flowers, stamen removed and petals torn (optional)

    Courgette flower

    korr-shgett fl-ow-er

    The edible flower of the courgette, or zucchini bush. There are two sorts of flower: the flower…

  • 20g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, grated, plus extra to serve

    Parmesan

    parm-ee-zan

    Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…

    • For the pesto

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
  • large handful of basil leaves, plus extra to serve
  • handful of mint leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

    Olive oil

    ol-iv oyl

    Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It’s…

  • 1 tbsp grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative

    Parmesan

    parm-ee-zan

    Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…

    • Method

    1. To make the pesto, crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the pine nuts and pound to a coarse paste, then tear in the basil and mint, pounding again until they’ve broken down. Stir in the oil and cheese, then taste for seasoning – add more cheese if you like.

    2. Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the courgettes, sprinkle in the chilli flakes and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 3-5 mins until the courgettes are golden and softened. Add the spring onions and lemon zest, and stir for a minute or two. Tip in the rice and stir to coat in the oil until translucent, about 2 mins. 

    3. Pour in the wine, then cook for a couple of minutes until it’s mostly evaporated. Add a ladleful of the stock and stir for a few minutes until it’s absorbed. Continue adding a ladleful at a time for 20-30 mins, stirring continually, until all of the stock is absorbed.

    4. Stir in the blanched broad beans and flowers, if using, and warm through for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and stir through the parmesan. Allow to sit for about 5 mins, then swirl through half of the pesto. Any remaining pesto will keep chilled for up to two days.

    5. Divide the risotto between bowls and scatter with the extra basil leaves, extra cheese and another spoonful of the pesto, if you like.

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