Strawberry risotto is an unusual risotto recipe. Fresh and colorful, this recipe is very easy-to-make. Given its particularity and its note of color, rice with strawberries is a dish perfect for special occasion.
Strawberry risotto is not an ancient recipe of traditional Italian cuisine. It’s a relatively recent dish that has now become a classic of Italian recipes.
Strawberry risotto was born in the legendary 80s, when experimentation in the kitchen led to the discovery of new original combinations, such as the famous Penne alla Vodka, for example. At the time was a novelty to combine fruit with a salted dish.
It was certainly a successful experiment: the flavor of strawberries goes perfectly with that of white wine, and everything blends with the creamy rice. The flavor is not cloying or too sweet, but very delicate and well balanced.
Unlike other versions of strawberry risotto recipe, we don’t add heavy cream. Strawberry risotto, if cooked in the right way, is already creamy, thanks to its starch, strawberries and grated Parmigiano. Therefore, there is no need to add extra fat and calories by adding heavy cream.
Strawberry risotto is an ideal dish for the spring/summer period, when the strawberries are in full ripeness. Surely with this risotto recipe you’ll amaze your guests!
Furthermore, if you want to have a strawberry-themed dinner, our tip is to finish your meal with amazing Italian desserts, such as fresh Strawberries with Pastry Cream or the terrific Strawberry Tiramisu. Success is guaranteed!
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Strawberry Risotto Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 Min
- Cook Time: 20 Min
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 little white onion
- 1 liter of vegetable broth
- 100 ml (1/2 cup) of Prosecco wine or other sparkling white wine
- 350 g (1 3/4 cup) of Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 350 g (1 1/2 cup) of strawberries
- 40 g (1/3 stick) of unsalted butter
- 50 g (1/2 cup) grated Parmigiano cheese
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- a pinch of fine salt
- a few drops of balsamic vinegar of Modena (optional)
- a few mint leaves to decorate (optional)
Directions
Step 1) – First prepare a vegetable stock, if you don’t already have it. Vegetable stock should not be too aromatic and tasty. Carrot, celery and a small onion in 1 liter and a half of lightly salted water is enough. Boil for at least 40 minutes. You are going to use the broth to cook risotto, slowly, letting the rice absorb it little by little. Meanwhile, wash the strawberries then dry them well. Remove the green tuft and cut them into small pieces. Keep a few whole strawberries for the final decoration.
Step 2) – Chop the onion and sauté over medium heat in a pan with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the rice and cook for 2/3 minutes, always stirring, untill the grains are slightly glassy.
Step 3) – Then add the white wine, stir and let it evaporate, over high heat. We recommend a Prosecco wine. Then add the hot vegetable stock. At first, there will be a sizzle: part of the stock, in contact with the hot pan, evaporates. Then immediately add another ladle of stock. During cooking, the rice must always be covered with stock; in this way it releases the starches and the grain does not break.
Step 4) – Halfway through cooking, after about 8 minutes, add half of chopped strawberries, stirring constantly. Strawberries become creamy and give the risotto its characteristic color.
Step 5) – When the rice is cooked, after another 8/10 minutes, turn off the heat. Add grated Parmigiano cheese and butter. Stir to combine and finish with the remaining strawberries. Strawberry risotto is ready! You can add two or three drops of balsamic vinegar, a few mint leaves and decorate with strawberries.
Storage
It’s better to enjoy immediately strawberry risotto, when hot and juicy. Freezing is not recommended.
Strawberry Risotto: Tips and Variations
If you love savory strong cheeses, the firs tip is to whisk the strawberry risotto with goat cheese or with gorgonzola cheese in place of Parmigiano. These two cheeses are very tasty and go perfectly with the the strawberry flavor. In fact, they are often served with fruit in appetizers or with aperitifs.
Now we are going to show you an original idea, an alternative way to enjoy Strawberry Risotto: not as a first course but as a side dish.
The particular taste of this sweet/savory risotto recipe goes very well with certain types of meat, for example with lamb or pork. The use of creamy risotto in this case is similar to that of a sauce. So you can serve small quantities of strawberry risotto next to the portion of meat.
Strawberry and Shrimp Risotto
Strawberry and shrimp risotto is a typically summer fresh variant. The recipe is exactly the same as we have showed you but with the addition of shrimp. Add about 200 g (7 oz) of raw and peeled shrimp to the risotto halfway through cooking, along with the strawberries. The result is really nice and very tasty!
