Low Carb Orzo "Risotto-Style" with Zucchini Cream, Parmesan, and Basil
A creamy first course in risotto style, but with an important clarification: it's not real rice.
Our Low Carb Risoni are low-carb pasta in the shape of rice, so they should be cooked like short pasta, but can be creamed "risotto-style" to obtain a softer and more enveloping dish.
For 2 people
Total time: approx. 25 minutes
Preparation: 8 minutes
Zucchini cooking: 8 minutes
Low Carb Risoni cooking: 10 minutes
Final creaming: 2 minutes
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Low Carb Risoni | 160 g |
| Zucchini | 250 g |
| Light vegetable broth or hot water | 450 g approx. |
| Grated Parmigiano Reggiano | 35 g |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 25 g |
| Butter | 15 g |
| Fresh basil | 6-8 leaves |
| Garlic | 1/2 clove, approx. 2 g |
| Fine salt | 3 g approx. |
| Black pepper | to taste |
| Grated lemon zest | a little, approx. 1 g, optional |
Method
1. Prepare the zucchini — 3 minutes
Wash the zucchini and cut them into thin rounds or small cubes.
Set aside 40g of raw zucchini cut into small cubes: these will be used at the end to add a fresher and slightly crunchy note.
2. Cook the zucchini base — 8 minutes
In a large pan, heat 18g of extra virgin olive oil with 1/2 clove of garlic.
Add 210g of zucchini, 2g of salt and cook over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, until soft.
Remove the garlic.
Blend the cooked zucchini with:
- 80g of hot broth or hot water
- 4-5 basil leaves
- black pepper
You should obtain a soft cream, not too thick.
3. Cook the Low Carb Risoni — 10 minutes
In a shallow casserole or large pan, heat the remaining 7g of extra virgin olive oil.
Add the Low Carb Risoni and toast them very briefly, for about 30 seconds.
Do not treat them like traditional rice: they are pasta, so long toasting is not necessary.
Add about 250g of hot broth and cook for 10 minutes, stirring gently.
During cooking, add more broth little by little, only when needed. In total, you will use about 350-370g of broth, in addition to the 80g used to blend the zucchini.
The result should be creamy, not dry.
4. Add the zucchini cream — last 2 minutes
About 2 minutes before the end of cooking, add the zucchini cream to the risoni.
Stir gently and let everything combine.
Also add the 40g of raw zucchini set aside: they only need to heat up slightly, without losing their consistency entirely.
5. Final creaming — 2 minutes
Turn off the heat.
Add:
- 15g of butter
- 35g of Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2-3 basil leaves torn by hand
- a little lemon zest, if you want a fresher note
Stir slowly until you get a soft and creamy consistency.
Let it rest for 1 minute before serving.
Final Result
The dish should resemble a risotto in creaminess, but with a different structure: the Low Carb Risoni remain rice-shaped pasta, so they hold up better and release less starch than traditional rice.
For this reason, the creaminess is built with:
- zucchini cream;
- Parmesan;
- a little butter;
- gentle off-heat creaming.
The result is an elegant, fresh, soft low-carb first course, also suitable for very clear product communication: it looks like rice, but it's not rice; it's low-carb pasta in risoni format.
To learn more about cooking times, formats, and practical tips, read the guide: Low-carb pasta: what it is, how to cook it, and how to choose the right one.