Lemon Risotto with Summer Squash
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 7 to 8cups well seasoned chicken or vegetable stock, as needed
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½cup minced onion
- Salt to taste
- 1pound summer squash (mixed varieties), diced
- 1½cups arborio or carnaroli rice
- 1 to 2garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, minced
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½cup dry white wine, like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 2teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest
- 1 to 2tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
- 2tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
415 calories; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 1124 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that the stock or broth is well seasoned.
- Step 2
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the squash and a generous pinch of salt. Turn the heat up to medium high, and cook, stirring often, until the squash is translucent but not too soft, about five minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the rice and the garlic, and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir until it has been absorbed. Turn the heat back down to medium, and begin adding the simmering stock a couple of ladlefuls (about ½ cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the rice is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion, stirring in more stock when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir often.
- Step 4
When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, in about 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and Parmesan. Remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe, cooking halfway through Step 3 for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove it from the heat, and there should not be any liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan, and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a simmer, and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Kennedy
Grocery store was out of arborio rice so I subbed in orzo and it worked wonderfully, possibly even better. I boiled it in half as much stock as the recipe requires, and it obviously became a lower-maintenance recipe. I doubled up the veggies and added some red pepper flakes as well, but I usually do that :)
Sarah
Great recipe! I made it as written, and then chopped up a very large filet of poached salmon and mixed it into the finished dish. The lemon and salmon married beautifully!
Sheila
Wonderful recipe! Perfect summer dish! I did not alter the recipe at all, and this is a keeper. Next time, I might use some zucchini with the summer squash to add additional color. Possibly a bit more lemon zest/juice. It was delicious served with Pinot Grigio!
Emily Jenkins
I really loved this recipe- made half quantities and it was the perfect amount for two people. I left out the parsley, but it was still very flavorful. I used half zucchini and half yellow summer squash.
April
Very fresh tasting. Nice for the summer. Served with a sherry marinated pork tenderloin. I used zucchini and fresh peas. this is a keeper
Helene
I used fresh basil instead of parsley + red kuri squash + yellow and green zucchini : delicious. And the lemon was genius indeed !
Sara
Followed to a T, and it was very good. Next time I’ll double the onion and garlic (personal preference) and red chili flakes.
Katrina
Used pattypan squash and followed the instructions exactly. Turned out so delicious, and was not as tricky of a recipe as I thought! Paired it will lemon-y and cajun-spiced salmon cooked in foil on the grill, which was a perfect compliment. Great summery meal.
msl
I liked this - used Meyer lemons from mom and dad’s tree, it was good and very lemon forward! Good squash cooking method - they kept their texture and shape and didn’t get mushy.
Isabelle
This was delicious. Given it's the height of summer, I added some fresh corn (with squash) and basil (with parsely). As ever, good risotto is labor intensive, but worth it. (And, as a hack for the future, I had to sub in sushi rice for a large portion of the rice - arborio rice would be better, but it was largely indistinguishable to my pallet.)
add basil and cumin seed
Add some toasted whole cumin seed, about 1 tsp in with the garlic and fresh basil at the end and you are there.
Sarah M.
WOW was this good. I didn’t add onion, doubled the squash, added fresh thyme from the garden, quadrupled the garlic, and used homemade chicken stock… DIVINE
Claire
Delicious. I added more parm and more lemon and it was a fantastic way to use my abundance of zucchini!
Jen
Grains studded with vegetables make my heart happy. Followed the recipe as written and it was the perfect side dish to our Sunday meal.
isabelle
Lemony and delicious but labor-intensive. Maybe not worth the trouble.
ABB
I wish that I had saved the squash in a separate bowl after sauteing and then added it in toward the end of cooking. The squash lost its flavor and became too mushy with all of the mixing.
Les O
Terrific. Followed all the directions and this was delicious.
Les O
I made a half recipe for my husband and I, exactly according to the directions, and it was delicious. Nothing more to say except will definitely make again.
Kiley
It’s a labor of love, but it’s worth it. Rich, creamy and bright. It’s a fun summer recipe, and since it calls for white wine, you can sip on a glass in the process. Cheers!
Laura G.
The lemon is everything! It’s not really summer squash season yet, so I used fennel instead. Went beautifully with the lemon. Also stirred in a knob of butter at the end.
hannah
I loved this! I followed it almost exactly, other than using zucchini instead of yellow squash and I used vegan parm. It’s time consuming but really worth it! I will definitely make this again soon and can’t wait for leftovers!
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