Zucchini Risotto with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers
Earlier this week, I decided to stay a night with my parents following an unpleasant trip to the dentist. Not that having my mouth clamped open for 2.5 hours isn’t a total blast, but just knowing I had voluntarily driven 90 miles for an elective procedure wasn’t sitting well with me. Besides that, my teeth were awfully sore–making the Valentine’s Day candy hearts my mother lies out totally off limits. But my sour mood went out the window the moment I walked into our kitchen and noticed a cookbook opened to this risotto recipe. Adjacent to the recipe was a note from my mom: “Laura– at the grocery store. We’re having this for dinner tonight, you like?” Umm, yes. I absolutely love risotto. Since I usually consider it an indulgence, I was doubly thrilled after recognizing the Weight Watchers logo near the bottom of the page. No butter, no cream, nooo problem. Even without said ingredients, this risotto trumps all others I’ve tried. Knowing that one serving offers less than 6 grams of fat left me feeling guilt-free and eager to share the recipe. I hope you give it a try!
Yields 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 3.5 c. vegetable broth
- 1/2 c. tomato juice
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1 1/3 c. Arborio rice
- 16 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
- 1/2 c. chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
- 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the broth and tomato juice; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.
appetizing, eh?
In a large nonstick saucepan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions until soft, or about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, and wine. Continue cooking until the zucchini is softened, or about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic!
Add the rice; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
Add 1 cup of the broth mixture, the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and marjoram; cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed.
Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the broth is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice is tender.*
Stir in the cheese and pepper and serve!
*Note: The cookbook claimed the total cooking time was 25 minutes. Ummm, false. Keep stirring and keep tasting until the rice is tender. For us, this took around 45 minutes. You don’t want to turn the heat up too high, because the rice will burn and create a ridiculous mess on the bottom of the pan.
