Weekend Cooking: Baked Zucchini, Tomato and Parmesan Risotto

A couple of months ago I decide to borrow a cookbook from the library which, according to the cover, showcased the best of Bill Granger's recipes. It was only once I started looking for an online version of one of the recipes that I realised that there had been a bit of drama around the release of this cookbook and that it was basically repackaging recipes from existing cookbooks and putting them out in this new book. There was a big court case about it all. In short ...  lots of drama.

What having this book out from the library did do is encourage me to get the two Bill Granger cookbooks that I do already own off of the dusty bookshelf and take a look through them. There were a number of recipes that I had marked in the best of collection as recipes I might try, but it was only once I took the time to look at the recipes closely that I realised that I already had that recipe in one of my existing cookbooks.

Since that time I have tried a couple of the recipes.  Previous to this rediscovery the only recipe I had cooked of Bill's was for his Choc Banana Bread, but over the last couple of months I have tried White Bean and Chorizo Soup, his chocolate brownie recipe, scones and just last week a recipe for Baked Zucchini, Tomato and Parmesan Risotto which I am sharing today.

There are also a number of other recipes that I found both in the library book and the books that I already own including a Chorizo, Potato and Red Capsicum Frittata, Beef and Asian Greens stir fry and Herbed Chicken Schnitzel! Have to love it when the recipes are for food that sound tasty and achievable!

I think I am going to have to borrow some more of Bill's books from the library to see what else I can find to cook!

Baked risotto with zucchini, tomato and parmesan


Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
180 g (1 cup) arborio rice
375 ml (11/2 cups) chicken stock or water
400 g (14 oz) can chopped Roma (plum) tomatoes
3 zucchini (courgettes), finely sliced
60 g (21/4 oz) freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Shavings of Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Heat a 3 litre (12 cup) capacity ovenproof dish (with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and sea salt and stir for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the rice to the dish and stir for another minute.

Add the stock or water and the chopped tomatoes and bring to simmering point. Stir in the zucchini and sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper. Cover the dish and bake the risotto for 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Scatter parsley over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan shavings if desired, and serve in the dish.

Serves 4

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