Zucchini Risotto

This creamy Italian rice dish makes an elegant main course. See more

READY IN 45 mins

Zucchini Risotto

Read Reviews (189)

"This creamy main dish gets a splash of color with the addition of zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. With much less butter than in a typical risotto recipe and no wine, there's no running around for ingredients you don't have on hand! The result is a lovely, light flavor in a very filling meal." — LitleLisa1

Directions

Bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Risotto will become "creamy" and slightly sticky, yet still firm in the center, or al dente.
When almost finished, stir in the zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and thyme, adding stock as needed and stirring continuously. Stir in basil and 3 tablespoons cheese just before serving. Divide risotto among 6 bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and season with pepper to taste.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 45 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jun 16, 2008

i love risotto, and this was a very good flavor combination! but 1/2 of a zucchini is definitely not enough!! i used a whole zucchini plus some yellow squash. i added the sun dried tomatoes about half way through cooking so that they would flavor the rice more. i also doubled the cheese (i used freshly shaved asiago) because I love cheese :) but it tasted pretty flavorful before i added the cheese, so you can definitely leave out the cheese or use less if you are trying to reduce fat. i made this today for my mom's birthday and she loved it!

—Ty T.

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 08, 2011

This was quite labor-intensive to make and the flavor was lacking. As a full-time working mother and wife, I need recipes that are healthy, delicious and quick - this is not one of them. I love risotto and was hoping this would turn out well, but it's in desperate need of garlic salt and something else. Not a big fan of the addition of the thyme, and I usually like thyme. Definitely will not make this again. Only reason hubby and I ate it was because we can't stand to waste food.

—acg_623

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269 Ratings

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Aug 02, 2005

risotto is intimidating because of all of the stirring. As much as I cook, I still cannot get rice to work, so how was I going to make something as complicated as risotto? Thanks to this recipe (my inaugural attempt), my risotto was wonderful. Being a WeightWatcher girl, I did not add the parmesan cheese to the top (didn't miss it) and added lots of veggies. I too rough chopped my zucchini, and added chopped fresh broccoli and sweet peas (at the very end). I'd recommend carrots too. One happy note: I did not "stir continuously". Instead I used a very good pot and stirred "quite often", until the end. When the mixture thickened, I "stirred continuously" and voila! No blob. Thanks for the great recipe.

—Tarheel Fan

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Mar 28, 2006

This was my first risotto attempt and it worked out pretty well. I was cooking for 2 so I scaled back the ingredients as follows(which made enough for 3): 4 cups chicken broth 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup rice 1/2 sweet onion chopped 2 small carrots chopped 5 sun dried tomatoes (used the kind packed in oil) 1 zucchini chopped 1 tablespoon dried thyme 3 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan ~ 12 small basil leaves sliced width-wise I sauteed the carrots and onions together first, then added the rice and followed the rest of the recipe as instructed. Carrots sweeted it up a bit and the basil should not be skipped - it added a really nice flavor. With constant stirring over medium heat, the risotto probably took about 30 minutes total to cook. My fiance liked it and I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day. I will make this again!

—D. Bennett

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Apr 08, 2006

Loved this recipe!! I followed directions exactly; but used 1/2 teaspoon dried basil since I did not have fresh. Is definitely a keeper !! Thanks for the recipe.

—EstrellaChica

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Jun 01, 2009

This was an excellent recipe. The flavor was perfect. The only changes I made were to add 5 or 6 leaves of fresh basil, I used an entire zucchini instead of half, marinated sun dried tomatoes and I used more parm. Oh and freshly ground pepper. Yum!

—KMW1101

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Sep 15, 2006

This was the best side dish I've made in a long time! I substitued 1 cup of low sodium broth with 1 cup of a dry white wine, which added a lot of flavor. I used dried thyme and basil and didn't miss the fresh herb taste. This recipe is a keeper!

—Katie

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Dec 04, 2006

We really enjoyed this! A veggie dish that doesn't taste like it's missing meat at all. I doubled the onion, zucchini and sundried tomatoes and added a little garlic. It was nowhere near bland despite the fact that I forgot to add the thyme completely. My sundried tomatoes were marinated with herbs and that more than a made up for the lack of thyme. I like my veggies chunky and crunchy so I cut the zucchini into bigger bits, but I may slice them thinner next time, as the recipe suggest, as my boyfriend said the chunks reminded him of his childhood when he didn't like zucchini as a side dish. Fair enough. Will definitely make this healthy feeling and delicious risotto again.

—Babzil

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Nutrition

Calories
363 kcal
18%

Carbohydrates
71.2 g
23%

Cholesterol
9 mg
3%

Fat
4.1 g
6%

Fiber
3.1 g
12%

Protein
9.1 g
18%

Sodium
699 mg
28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Zucchini Risotto

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 363
Calories from Fat: 37

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4.1g 6 %
Saturated Fat 2.1g 11 %
Cholesterol 9mg 3 %
Sodium 699mg 28 %
** Potassium 196mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 71.2g 23 %
Dietary Fiber 3.1g 12 %
Protein 9.1g 18 %
Sugars 5.9g
Vitamin A 27 %
Vitamin C 9 %
Calcium 12 %
Iron 18 %
** Thiamin 4 %
** Niacin 7 %
** Vitamin B6 5 %
** Magnesium 5 %
** Folate 7 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.