The Risotto With Lemon it is a really simple and genuine first course, made with vegetable broth and untreated lemon zest, perfect for a formal or informal lunch or dinner. If then it comes creamed with Philadelphia cheese, it is really creamy and irresistible! The risotto with lemon is prepared in about 30 minutes, depending on the cooking time of the chosen rice. The remaining time indicated is that dedicated to the preparation of the vegetable broth, which you can prepare at home in advance, perhaps in the form of vegetable stock cube. If you are a risotto lover, try all our other risotto-based recipes too!

Preparation

1

Prepare the vegetable broth by washing and peeling the carrot, onion and courgette. Cut the vegetables into rather large pieces.

2

Wash and peel the celery, then divide it in half. Once all the vegetables are cleaned, put them in a bowl. Fill a large pot with cold water and salt and add the vegetables. Place the pot on a moderate heat and cook the vegetable broth for 30 minutes starting from the boil. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set the broth aside.

3

Pour about 3 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick pan. Place the pan on the stove and turn it on to medium heat. Pour in the rice and toast it for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, so that the grains brown slightly. Add two ladles of broth and mix, then cook until completely absorbed.

4

Thinly cut the peel of the untreated lemon and then cut it into slices. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl.

5

When the broth has absorbed you can add the lemon zest to the rice. Also add the juice, mix and add another ladle of vegetable broth. Let it cook, stirring constantly and adding the broth when the rice is too dry. Continue cooking for about 15-16 minutes. When cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the spreadable cheese. Season with a sprinkling of pepper, a few mint leaves and lemon zest. Serve hot.

Advice and tips

You can use different types of risotto rice. Our recipe mentions Carnaroli, but you can also use Vialone Nano, Roma or Arborio, depending on your preferences.

We advise you to always buy untreated organic lemons. In addition to having a skin free from any chemical contamination, they have more juice and better quality.

You can make the vegetable broth separately by following our homemade vegetable broth recipe.

If you are not a fan of spreadable cheese, you can also use cold butter from the fridge to cream your risotto with lemon, adding a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano. Alternatively, if you prefer another type of cheese, you can use Robiola or add grated Pecorino Romano.

You can garnish with mint leaves or, alternatively, with lemon thyme or rosemary.

Conservation of risotto with lemon

The lemon risotto can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 day, covered. You can then heat it quickly in the microwave or pass it in the oven with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. We advise against freezing it.