Risotto Patties - An IBS-Friendly Go-To

As a picky Italian, I never reheat pasta or risotto. I can't stand the overcooked feeling, the chewiness. However, in this economy, wasting food should be considered profanity.

Thankfully, my mum taught me how to save leftovers, adding taste and consistency. For this episode of 'Never Waste Good Food,' I decided to transform my leftover risotto into delicious patties.

What to do with leftover rissoto

In this case, I had a flavorful risotto. Risotto is always my first choice for IBS-friendly dishes — gluten-free, tasty, and can be easily combined with many low-FODMAP ingredients.

This specific one was a risotto with radicchio, one of my favorite winter veggies that is also low-FODMAP. Many varieties of radicchio can be cooked and taste delicious. However, you have to be mindful. Anyway, the taste might seem a little too bitter for those unfamiliar with this vegetable. I grew up with the taste, and it's honestly one of my favorites during the cold months. Radicchio di Treviso is the best you can get, and I receive it here in the Netherlands, directly shipped from my mom.

Using low-FODMAP ingredients

I can't give up on my radicchio — it's relatively safe for us with IBS when consumed under 5 oz, enough to cook a pasta sauce or a risotto.

This risotto patties can be prepared in a few easy steps and cooked in either the oven or a pan.
On this occasion, my broken oven forced me to use the pan. Nevertheless, the oven remains my favorite option; it requires less oil, is less time-consuming, leaves the stove clean, and during winter, I take advantage of the heat for heating the house too.

With IBS, choosing a lighter version of a dish is always a better idea; consequently, it becomes much easier to digest on an overly stressed gut. The oven enables you to cook with less grease, making it easy to process and healthier too.

Can also be prepared with rice

You can surely prepare these patties with any leftover rice you might have. However, if it's just white rice, I suggest adding some of your favorite low-FODMAP ingredients to the mixture.

I hope you will love saving leftover food as much as I did! Buon appetito!

Makes: 2 servings
Serving size: 3 patties each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients for risotto patties

• Cooked leftover rice/risotto, about 5 oz
• Gluten-free flour, around 3 tablespoons
• 2 eggs
• About 3 tablespoons of lactose-free milk
• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

Directions for risotto patties

1. To start, mix the gluten-free flour with the lactose-free milk, eggs, and salt. The result must be a creamy batter without lumps.
2. Add the leftover risotto and stir until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
3. On a pan, heat the oil and start distributing the mixture as little pancakes.
4. Cook on both sides until crispy and golden/brown.
5. Proceed until you finish the mixture.
6. If the result il too oily, put them on cooking paper to absorb the excess of grease

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 2
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 896
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35.9g 46%
Saturated Fat 11.1g 56%
Cholesterol 414mg 138%
Sodium 454mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 103.5g 38%
Dietary Fiber 4.3g 15%
Total Sugars 0.9g
Protein 38.5g
Vitamin D 185mcg 925%
Calcium 649mg 50%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 850mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.