This is the easiest, tastiest risotto ever. I know, I know. There are Nonna’s out there tut tutting and shaking their heads, wiping their hands on their aprons and wondering what will become of me.

But I’m a time-poor working single mumma, so I’ll take easy and tasty if I can get it. Sure, if I were in my kitchen in my Tuscan farmhouse I might spend the afternoon slaving over the stove top, making risotto the traditional way. Or maybe I’d be out on the terrace instead, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying a glass of red and some olives? Yep, that definitely sounds more likely.

This weekend I made the risotto using sweet potato, peas and mascarpone. If not using mascarpone I would have used one full cup of grated cheese. The joy of this dish is that you can use any variety of vegetables you have to hand. I’ve made parsnip, pumpkin and sage and many other varieties. Sometimes I lightly roast the vegetables before I add them in. If I’ve got time on my hands that is. So, today we bring you another versatile veggie dish!

So, what do you need?

½ cup butter – diced
1 medium sweet potato – diced
½ brown onion – diced
1 cup of peas
1 litre stock (I use Massel – good for vegetarians & lower salt)
1 tablespoon of organic tomato paste
Throw in some herbs: sage, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary – whatever you’ve got … if you’re having an even quicker/easier night a squeeze of Italian herbs
Mince a clove of garlic {or two if you’re like me and are a fan of garlic}
½ cup grated cheese {I like to use a mix of Italian cheeses, but have also made them with good old tasty cheese. If you’re vegetarian make sure you look for non-animal rennet cheese}

½ cup mascarpone
Cracked pepper to taste

 

Okay, now what do you do with it?
Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees celsius {375 farenheit}.

Steam your sweet potato {or any root vegetable you’re using} lightly first. They don’t need to be mushy, but just to take the super crunch out of them. I put mine in the microwave with a little water on high for 3 minutes.

Put all of your ingredients {except for your peas!} into a casserole dish and mix well.

Pop your casserole dish onto a cookie sheet or other oven tray {to catch any that might spill when you’re giving it the occasional stir} and put into your oven to cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At the 40 minute mark, have a taste. If you are adding peas, stir them in now. I often find at this point that the risotto will need to cook for another 5 or 10 minutes. Adding your peas now will ensure they retain their colour and taste.

If I’m making the risotto to freeze, I’ll take it out when it’s still quite wet, because freezing then reheating will dry it out.

If serving straight away, let the rice soak up a little more of the delicious tastes before you serve it. Plate up, grind on some cracked pepper, shave a little more Italian cheese and buon appetito!

{We cook our vegetarian food using organic ingredients where possible and our diet is mostly gluten-free.}