3 Healthier Risotto Dishes (2024)

Nothing quite says romantic fall dinner like risotto, and chef Fabio Viviani, author of Fabio's Italian Kitchen and a former contestant on Bravo's Top Chef, knows how to make a mean one.

Great news: Now you can make three different kinds of risotto, all developed by the famous chef! The best part? While the three recipes obviously star rice, they also showcase some majorly delicious (and health-boosting!) ingredients, such as veggies and nuts.

So get your stovetops ready, ladies...

Risotto with Pumpkin and Walnuts
Serves 4

5 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
Salt and pepper
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup red wine
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 cups pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup pear juice
1/2 cup candied or regular walnuts

1. Place 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and sauté until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice, and cook for a few minutes until it's translucent. Then add the wine, and simmer until almost completely absorbed.

3. Start adding the stock one ladle at a time (it should be just enough to cover the rice), stirring continuously. As the stock is absorbed and the rice cooks, stir in more stock, adding enough each time to just cover the rice. Once you have added all the stock and the rice is tender, remove it from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter.

4. In a large skillet, melt the last tablespoon of butter, and sear the pumpkin until golden brown on all sides. Transfer it to a plate, and deglaze the pan: Pour the pear juice into the pan and reduce it over medium heat until it has thickened a bit and has a denser consistency, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the juice becomes more concentrated. Continue cooking until the juice has reduced by half, then set aside.

5. Gently fold the seared pumpkin into the risotto, reserving a few pieces for garnish. Serve the risotto warm, drizzled with the pear sauce, and sprinkled with the reserved pumpkin and a few candied or regular walnuts.

From FABIO'S ITALIAN KITCHEN by Fabio Viviani. Copyright © 2013, 
VF Legacy, LLC. Published by Hyperion in April 2013. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.

Photo credit: Matt Armendariz

Red Beet Risotto
Serves 4

4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 quarts chicken stock, hot
4 red beets
1 yellow beet
1 cup dry white wine
Zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more to taste
1 1/3 cup risotto rice, like Arborio or Carnaroli
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle the beets with the olive oil, wrap them loosely in aluminum foil, and place them on a baking sheet. Cook forabout 1/2 hour to 1 hour, depending on size,or until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven, and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Remove the skins, mash one of the red beets, and quarter the rest. Set aside.

2. Heat 3 Tbsp of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, and allow to toast for a few minutes until opaque. Then add the wine, and simmer until almost completely absorbed. Stir in the mashed beet, then start adding the stock a ladle at a time (it should be just enough to cover the rice). When almost all of it is absorbed, add more stock, stirring often.

3. About 5 minutes before the rice is cooked (at this point, you'll still see a little bit of broth, but it will be almost completely absorbed), stir in the lemon zest and fold in the quartered beets, reserving the yellow beets and 4 quarters of the red for garnish.

4. Once the rice is tender, remove from flame and stir in remaining butter and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm, garnished with the remaining yellow and red beets and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Photo credit: VF Legacy, LLC

Veggie and Cheese Risotto
Serves 8

3 cups Arborio rice
2 quarts vegetable stock, warmed
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tomato, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup low-fat parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low-fat asiago cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a large pot on medium-high heat, toast rice with a touch of oil for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 1/4 cup of stock, cook until absorbed, then repeat.

2. Add the extra virgin olive oil and tomato. Once rice is al dente, add basil and all cheeses. Salt and pepper to taste.

Photo credit: VF Legacy, LLC