Grain-Free Roasted Vegetable Risotto

Ever craving a classic Italian dish? I don’t know about you, but I often crave anything pizza/pasta, especially when I want to me a bit naughty (sorry, not sorry). Risotto is just a classic, scrumptious and in my opinion hearty dish. It’s like a blank canvas, you make it how you want it. It’s typically naturally gluten-free, but oftentimes can contain gluten in dishes. Risotto is usually made of a type of rice, but the goal here is to be grain-fee, protein-packed and simple!

So, I have been in search of a grain alternative to risotto, and I finally found it! The HOLY GRAIL of risotto, and its made out of chickpeas and red lentils! Odd you say? I was a bit surprised, yet anxious to try it just to see how it would taste and what the texture would be like. Trader Joe’s (once again, one of my longtime favorite grocers) carries what they call “Risoni” and it’s flippin amazing! No joke, I don’t usually recommend many alternatives unless they score an A+ in my foodie book. It is PACKED full of protein and a tad on the chewy side in terms of texture, but it works so well.

I found myself wondering what would be a good pair as essentially, I’m really just working with chickpea and red lentil flour. I decided to go old school and try out a roasted vegetable and now I’m hooked on my own creation. Yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, sweet onions and garlic and bam baby. You can add mushrooms too if they float your boat and you’ve got a killer dish.

The key, and I seriously stress this, is to stay loyal to the roasting process. Roast or even sautée your vegetables thoroughly, after cooking the risotto in some vegetable broth, sprinkle on some oregano and sea salt and fly to the moon my friend. It’s really a simple, easy and quick dish and perfect for the family to just to yourself while you shamelessly binge watch TV. I should also mention, that the leftovers are even better…