Summer Risotto with Zucchini, Peas and Basil

Name: Summer Risotto with Zucchini, Peas and Basil
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice; 2 medium Shallots, finely diced; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 2 medium Zucchini, diced; 1 cup Fresh or frozen peas; 1 1/2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 cup Dry white wine; 5 cups Vegetable stock, warm; 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated; 1 Lemon, zested and juiced; 1/2 cup leaves Fresh basil, torn; 1 teaspoon, or to taste Sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground

This summer risotto is creamy without a drop of cream, packed with zucchini, sweet peas, and cherry tomatoes that burst against the arborio rice. It starts in fruity high-phenolic olive oil and finishes with a bold, peppery drizzle that carries the polyphenols you can taste. A vegetable-forward bowl that fits right into a Mediterranean-style summer table.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published July 25, 2026

Jump to Recipe

Prep 15 min

Cook 30 min

Total 45 min

Easy

Why We Love This Recipe

Summer risotto leans on the produce drawer, zucchini, sweet peas, and blistered cherry tomatoes, alongside a generous pour of olive oil, which makes it a natural fit for the Mediterranean way of eating. Olive oil is the cornerstone fat of that pattern and is rich in monounsaturated fats, while the vegetables bring fiber and brightness to a bowl that still feels like comfort food.

The flavor and the good stuff come from the same place. Our High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cold-pressed within hours of an early harvest in Messinia, Greece, and qNMR-verified by the University of Athens, so it stays rich in polyphenols, specifically hydroxytyrosol. Developed with Harvard-trained cardiologists, it is the oil we reach for to build the base of this dish. If you want to go deeper, here is the science behind extra virgin olive oil.

Polyphenols are highest in a fresh bottle and fade with time, light, and heat, so a raw drizzle at the end is where the most flavor and polyphenols reach the plate. Finish each bowl with our bold, peppery Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. That gentle pepper at the back of your throat is the polyphenols you can taste, which is exactly why a high-phenolic oil is worth using raw.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Keep the stock hot

Warm stock added to warm rice keeps the pot cooking evenly and coaxes out the starch that makes risotto creamy. Cold stock stalls the pan and slows everything down.

Toast the rice before any liquid

Give the arborio a full two minutes in the oil until the grain edges turn translucent. That toasting step builds a nutty depth you cannot add back later.

Taste your finishing oil first

Before you drizzle, taste the Ultra High Phenolic oil on a spoon. A fresh high-phenolic oil has a fruity front and a peppery finish, and that pepper is your cue that the polyphenols are lively. If it tastes flat, the bottle is past its best.

Add the tomatoes late

Fold the cherry tomatoes in during the last few minutes so they soften and release their juice without collapsing. You want them to hold their shape and pop against the creamy rice.

Finish off the heat

Stir in the Parmesan, lemon, and basil once the pan is off the burner. Residual heat is plenty to melt the cheese, and it keeps the herbs bright and the raw drizzle at its most flavorful.

Ingredients

servings

3 tablespoons High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 medium Shallots, finely diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Zucchini, diced
1 cup Fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Dry white wine
5 cups Vegetable stock, warm
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup leaves Fresh basil, torn
1 teaspoon, or to taste Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven

Small saucepan for the stock

Wooden spoon

Ladle

Microplane or fine grater

Sharp chef's knife

How to Cook Summer Risotto with Zucchini, Peas and Basil

Prep

Pour the vegetable stock into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer, then keep it warm over low heat so it is ready to ladle.

Finely dice the shallots and zucchini, mince the garlic, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Zest and juice the lemon, grate the Parmesan, and tear the basil leaves.

Build the base

Warm the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Its smooth, balanced flavor is the base every other ingredient builds on.

Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.

Add the arborio rice and stir to coat every grain in the oil. Toast for 2 minutes, until the edges of the grains turn translucent.

Cook the rice

Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost fully absorbed.

Add the warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. After about 12 minutes, stir in the diced zucchini.

Keep adding stock and stirring for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the rice is al dente and creamy. Fold in the peas and cherry tomatoes in the final 3 minutes so they soften but hold their shape.

Finish

Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, and most of the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into bowls and finish each with a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the remaining basil. The bold, peppery oil added off the heat is where the flavor and polyphenols land brightest.

Recipe Notes

Swaps and variations

This template welcomes whatever the market hands you. For a pure vegetable version, follow our classic vegetable risotto, or lean into spring produce with a risotto built around asparagus. When tomatoes hit their peak, this tomato risotto makes them the star, and for a brighter, zestier bowl try our lemon risotto.

A tale of two oils

We cook the base in High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it is smooth and balanced over the heat, then finish with the bolder Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil raw. If you keep only one bottle on the counter, use it for both jobs and add a little extra at the end.

Storage

Risotto is best the day it is made, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat gently with a splash of stock or water to loosen it, then finish with a fresh drizzle of olive oil off the heat.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 1 bowl (about 1 3/4 cups)

Calories 430

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18g23%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 10mg3%

Sodium 650mg28%

Total Carbohydrate 52g19%

Dietary Fiber 4g14%

Total Sugars 5g

Protein 11g

Vitamin C 18mg20%

Calcium 180mg14%

Iron 2mg11%

Potassium 350mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

When cooking is not on the menu, our Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement is an easy way to keep the same Mediterranean polyphenols in your daily routine. Think of it as your no-cook habit for the days a fresh drizzle is not on the table.

Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement

$40.00

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Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this a summer risotto?

It leans on peak summer produce: zucchini, sweet peas, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and basil. The vegetables keep the bowl light and bright, so it feels like a warm-weather dish rather than a heavy cold-weather one.

What vegetables go in a summer risotto?

This version uses zucchini, peas, and cherry tomatoes, but summer risotto is flexible. Corn, asparagus, green beans, or roasted peppers all work. Add tender vegetables near the end so they keep their color and bite.

Is summer risotto healthy?

It is a vegetable-forward dish built on extra virgin olive oil, the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean way of eating, which is rich in monounsaturated fats and polyphenols. The vegetables add fiber and brightness to every bowl.

Which olive oil should I use for risotto?

Use a smooth, balanced high-phenolic oil to cook the base so it can stand up to the heat, then finish with a bold, peppery raw drizzle. The finishing pour is where you taste the oil most, so reach for your freshest, most flavorful bottle there.

Can I make summer risotto ahead of time?

Risotto is at its creamiest fresh off the stove, so it is best made just before serving. If you need a head start, prep and chop all the vegetables and warm the stock in advance, then the cooking itself takes about half an hour.

Can I make this vegan?

Yes. Swap the Parmesan for a plant-based hard cheese or a spoonful of nutritional yeast, and use vegetable stock. The olive oil already does the heavy lifting on richness and flavor.

Do I need the white wine?

The wine adds acidity and depth, but you can leave it out. Replace it with an extra splash of stock and a squeeze of lemon to keep that bright edge.

What rice is best for risotto?

Arborio is the classic choice because its high starch content gives risotto its creamy texture. Carnaroli is another excellent option that holds its shape a little better if you can find it.

How do I get risotto creamy without cream?

The creaminess comes from the rice itself. Toasting the grains, adding warm stock a little at a time, and stirring often releases the starch that makes risotto silky. A final stir of cheese and olive oil off the heat pulls it all together.