
Retro Recipe Revival: Risotto Prima Vera
It’s time for another one from the archives, this time from a recipe book that accompanied the Tower Pressure Cooker sold throughout the early to mid-90s. This week’s Retro-Recipe Revival takes all the hassle out of what can often be a time-consuming, tricky dish. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Risotto Prima Vera.Recommended appliance
Tower 6 Litre/22cm Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker Total time to table: 18 minutes Total Cost Per Serving: £2.39 Contains Nuts? No Suitable for Vegetarians? No (contains chicken stock) Serves: 6Ingredients
- 85ml olive oil
- x 1 onion (finely chopped)
- x 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 250g Arborio rice
- 200ml dry white wine
- 800ml chicken or vegetable stock (brought to the boil)
- 115g baby courgettes (cut into 1.5cm pieces)
- 115g baby asparagus (cut into 1.5cm pieces)
- 115g green beans (cut into 1.5cm pieces)
- 115g petit pois
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g freshly grated parmesan (plus extra shavings for garnish)
- x 2 tbspns fresh basil (finely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish)
- Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Preparation
- Heat your pressure cooker and add the olive oil. Finely chop the onion and garlic (we recommend using the 1.8-inch slicer knife from the Tower 5 Piece Knife Set with Acrylic Stand). Next, add them to the pot and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the Arborio rice and stir thoroughly to ensure that each and every grain is coated (the Tower 6 Piece Cerasafe Utensil Set and Carousel comes in especially handy for this task!).
- Add the dry white wine and then cook for 2 minutes before adding the stock and stirring again to combine.
- Replace the pressure cooker lid and bring to full pressure over a medium heat and cook for 8 minutes until the rice is al dente (just tender).
- When the rice is cooked, release the pressure using the cold water quick-release method and stir well to prevent any grains sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Keep the pressure cooker on a low to medium heat and add the courgettes, asparagus, green beans and petit pois. Stir well to combine and cook for 4 minutes.
- To finish the risotto, stir in the butter and then do the same with the parmesan. Beat the mixture with a heat-resistant spoon until it becomes thick and glossy and then season to taste.
- Just before serving, stir in the finely chopped basil.
Serving
- Heap into high-sided serving bowls and sprinkle over some parmesan shavings and garnish with basil sprigs. This meal is best accompanied by a nice chianti.
13 May 2015
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