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.
Spring Vegetable & Pesto Risotto with Rocket & Pine Nut Dressing
A green risotto to celebrate the season. Tender peas and hearty courgette join almond cream and nutty short grain rice. Green pesto, zesty lemon and parsley add freshness. A crunchy pine nut drizzle and leafy rocket complete the dish.
Ready in 20
1/3 daily fibre
7 plants
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 20g rocket
- 2 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.)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (Dried Inactive Yeast, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12.)
- 150g peas
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 250g cooked short grain brown rice (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 10g vegetable stock powder (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 200ml almond cream (use half) (Nuts) (Water, almond, sunflower oil, stabilisers (arabic gum, xanthan gum), sea salt)
- 1 courgette
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic clove
- 10g pine nuts
Nutritional Information
Calories: 586
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 71g
Fat: 28g
Ingredients
- 20g rocket (use half)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (use half)
- 1 courgette (use half)
- 10g vegetable stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (use half) (Dried Inactive Yeast, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12.)
- 250g cooked short grain brown rice (use half) (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 10g pine nuts (use half)
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (use half)
- 200ml almond cream (use a quarter) (Nuts) (Water, almond, sunflower oil, stabilisers (arabic gum, xanthan gum), sea salt)
- 2 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (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.)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 150g peas (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 591
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 72g
Fat: 28g
Spring Vegetable & Pesto Risotto with Rocket & Pine Nut Dressing
A green risotto to celebrate the season. Tender peas and hearty courgette join almond cream and nutty short grain rice. Green pesto, zesty lemon and parsley add freshness. A crunchy pine nut drizzle and leafy rocket complete the dish.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Pull out a large frying pan, a small bowl, a measuring jug & a grater
Prep & toast
- Finely dice the onion. Dice the courgette into 1cm chunks. Finely chop or grate the garlic
- Heat the large frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove and set aside
Build the risotto
- Reheat the frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the courgette and onion and cook for 5-6 mins, until softening. Season with salt and pepper
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 min
- Stir in the half pack of almond cream, the stock powder and 200ml water (100ml for 1 person) and bring to a simmer. Add the rice, breaking it up with a wooden spoon
- Simmer for 5-6 mins, until thickened. Add the peas in the final 1-2 mins
Prep the dressing
- Meanwhile, zest half the lemon, then quarter. Finely chop the parsley and toasted pine nuts
- To the small bowl, add the lemon zest (or to taste), pine nuts, half the parsley and 2 tsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine
Finish & plate up
- Stir the nutritional yeast, pesto, remaining parsley and a squeeze of lemon through the risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick
- Serve the risotto into bowls, topped with the rocket. Drizzle over the parsley pine nut dressing and serve with the remaining lemon wedges
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