Risotto is comfort food. And in times like this, there isn’t a dish that soothes the soul quite like the soft and supple taste of this lovable rice dish. The process of making risotto is meant to evoke a caressing kitchen, where your nonna stirs the pot over the stove in her well-worn apron. It’s warm. It’s creamy. It’s comfort.
I first fell in love with risotto as a kid, enticed by the exotic name while ordering second-rate Italian food in Denver, CO. Any time I’d see it on a menu, I’d be enthralled by the different variations: red wine with shrimp, white wine with asparagus, risotto with mushrooms, risotto with guanciale. The steam would rise off the plate as the gooey cheese strung off the fork making my head spin with each savory bite.
When I proposed to my wife, we decided to have a destination wedding and chose Florence, Italy for myriad reasons. The stunning countryside as a backdrop, the never-ending flow of Chianti wines, and of course, the food. We traveled to Firenze a few months in advance to meet with caterers and do taste tests around the city. Each menu, filled with Florentine delights, always included a risotto. We settled on a favorite, ventured back to the states and waited for the day, but most especially the risotto as our wedding denouement.
A few weeks before the wedding, we got word that my father wouldn’t be able to fly to Italy. Heartbroken, we knew it was always a possibility as he was nearly 80 and the 15 hours of travel wasn’t going to be easy. But that was only the first problem. We received our final menu from the caterer and the prices had been inflated by nearly 40%. Frantic, we discussed with our wedding planner, and she calmed our nerves with an alternative whose food she swore by. But was there risotto?
The day of the wedding went off without a hitch. The ceremony was blanked by warm sun and sporadic clouds over the Tuscan countryside. The courses came gradually as we celebrated the day, toasted to our future, and listened to effusive speeches. But then, the dish dropped in front of us. Served in white bowls, the arborio rice had a sheen from drizzled extra virgin olive oil. Strands of pecorino could be seen melding into the rice and oozing over slices of zucchini. The tart smell of Vermentino wafted to our noses. We looked at one another, took a bite, and settled into our chairs. Yes, there was risotto.
After an elongated honeymoon, we arrived home, a little saddened to not have more time, but satisfied that our culinary adventure and picture-perfect wedding would be an everlasting memory. I drove down to San Diego to see my father, as I wanted to share with him everything that he missed. I carried with me a bag filled with arborio rice, a bottle of Vermentino, a wedge of pecorino, a clove of garlic, a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, a box of vegetable broth, one giant zucchini, and a bottle of Chianti.
I donned my chef’s apron, and as I stirred the risotto, I regaled my father with stories of the wedding. The smell of roasted garlic warmed the air as the rice began to extrude its starch, creaming up the pan. We clinked glasses to the day he missed, drank the entire bottle of Tuscan red, and devoured the risotto. We sat back and smiled; our bellies full, and we toasted one last time to the meal he might have missed, but one he will never forget.
Zucchini Risotto by Paul Feinstein (modified recipe from the Eataly Cookbook)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2-3 cloves garlic
1.25 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 giant zucchini
3.5 cups vegetable broth
1.25 cups finely grated pecorino cheese
1 lemon or lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Add vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a simmer.
Slice zucchini and add to broth.
Heat a little EVOO in a pan and add the garlic. Cook on low heat until golden brown.
Add the rice to the pan and toast on high heat for a few minutes.
Pour the wine over the rice and cook until it evaporates.
Once the wine evaporates, add the slices of zucchini and a ladle full of broth to the rice, cooking on medium-high heat and stirring frequently.
Continue to add broth to rice once it evaporates. This will take around 15-20 minutes. Do one ladle at a time and continue to stir until it fully evaporates.
The risotto is ready when the rice is cooked through but still al dente.
Remove from the heat and add lemon juice to taste.
Add pecorino cheese and stir until fully combined.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Buon appetito!
Extra Tip: go to @lacucinaitalianausa Instagram account and in the Highlights you'll find Paul cooking the risotto!