The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Creamy Pomodoro Risotto with Pesto Courgette Salad & Pumpkin Seeds
This creamy risotto and salad has all your favourite Italian flavours. Enrich a vibrant tomato sauce with cashew butter and sundried tomatoes. Stir through fluffy brown rice. Top it all off with peppery rocket, creamy pesto, roasted courgette and a scattering of pumpkin seeds.
7 plants
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 500g cooked short grain brown rice (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 40g rocket
- 4 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 30g smooth cashew butter (Nuts, Peanuts) (Roasted CASHEW NUTS (90%), Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil).)
- 10g vegetable stock powder (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 2 pepper
- 1 onion
- 30g pumpkin seeds
- 4 garlic clove
- 200g baby tomatoes
- 2 courgette
Nutritional Information
Calories: 583
Protein: 13g
Carbs: 65g
Fat: 31g
Creamy Pomodoro Risotto with Pesto Courgette Salad & Pumpkin Seeds
This creamy risotto and salad has all your favourite Italian flavours. Enrich a vibrant tomato sauce with cashew butter and sundried tomatoes. Stir through fluffy brown rice. Top it all off with peppery rocket, creamy pesto, roasted courgette and a scattering of pumpkin seeds.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Preheat the oven to 240C / fan 220C / gas mark 9 / air fryer 190C
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Pull out a large frying pan, a large bowl, a measuring jug & a grater
Get started
- Dice the courgettes into 1cm chunks. Halve the tomatoes. Finely grate the garlic
- Place the tomatoes with half the garlic and 1 tsp oil onto a large piece of foil. Season with salt and pepper, then fold the foil to create a parcel
Roast & toast
- Place the tomato parcel and courgette onto the lined baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Roast for 15-18 mins / air fryer 8-12 mins, until soft and golden
- Meanwhile, heat the large frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pumpkin seeds and toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove from the pan, roughly chop, then transfer to the large bowl
Soften the veg
- Finely dice the onion. Dice the peppers into 1cm chunks
- Reheat the large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and pepper and cook for 5-7 mins, until softened. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper
Simmer simmer
- Add the sundried tomato paste and remaining garlic to the pan. Cook for 2 mins, then stir in the stock powder and 300ml water. Bring to the boil and stir in the cashew butter and rice, breaking it up with a wooden spoon
- Simmer for 3-4 mins, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper
- Stir in the roasted tomatoes. Simmer for 1 min, until piping hot. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too dry
Build the courgette salad & plate up
- When everything's ready, add the courgette, pesto and rocket to the pumpkin seeds in the large bowl and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Serve the risotto into bowls, topped with the courgette salad
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