Spring Risotto

I’m the biggest risotto fan, as you might have noticed by now! I’m probably so attached because I come from an area where they do the biggest risotto fair in the world. It lasts a month and more than 10,000 people come from around the world to enjoy this delicatessen in all its varieties and tastes.

It’s astonishing how chefs create certain combinations and how versatile this kind of dish is. It is also gluten-free so it can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people, including people with celiac disease and IBS.

This is why I love it so much, and I got to experiment more since I got my diagnosis, getting to know and enjoy this cheap and world-famous carbohydrate.

Onion alternatives for IBS

Of course, at the base of every risotto, there is an onion that needs to be slightly fried, and it is a problem if you have IBS. I then started using the green part of either the leek or the spring onion, which are allowed and resembles enough of the onion taste during that process, allowing me to obtain a really good risotto, without the stomach pain.

I can't really admit that the result is exactly the same, but we all agree that we need to compromise a little when it comes to eating good and taking care of our IBS. All my friends never complained, and you manage to balance the various tastes in a dish. You can eat well without renouncing satisfaction and happiness during your meal.

This risotto is the result of a classic in the Italian tradition, the risotto primavera, which translates into "spring risotto," due to the colorful ingredients. And I am not giving up on said dishes despite IBS.

Buon appetito!

Makes: 2 servings
Serving size: a plate each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: around 15 minutes

Ingredients for spring risotto:

• 6 oz of risotto purpose rice
• 1/2 cup of yellow capsicum
• 1/2 cup of red capsicum
• 1/2 cup of zucchini
• 1/4 of a cup of sliced spring onion, only green tops
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2.5 oz of butter
• 1.5 oz of grated Parmigiano
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• about 2 cups of your favorite broth
• salt and pepper to taste, depending on the broth

Directions for spring risotto:

1. Heat your broth up until boiling
2. Wash all your veggies, slice the spring onion, and dice the zucchini and bell peppers
3. On a pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and the spring onion to brown
4. Once brown, add your veggies to cook at medium heat for about 5 minutes
5. Start the timer if you need it
6. Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes, remember to keep stirring the risotto during the whole procedure
7. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate for 1/2 minutes
8. Add a ladle of broth at the time and keep stirring
9. Add some salt
10. Keep adding broth and stir until al dente and creamy (or the times goes off)
11. Add the pepper
12. Turn off the heat and add the butter and Parmigiano
13. Let them sit for a minute with a lid on top
14. After a minute stir vigorously until you obtain a creamy and soft consistency
15. Serve on the plate and add Parmigiano as desired