The first thing I bought after moving to New York was a new pressure cooker. Of course, you can make perfect risotto without one—in fact I’ve (almost) always found the slow, attentive, process to be somewhat meditative. Not to mention a great excuse to open a cold bottle of dry, white wine that you can then enjoy while stirring lovingly.

Making risotto in the pressure cooker will save you some time, but it will be at the expense of an hour-long reprieve from multi-tasking. There are two other major benefits though, both of which only occurred to me this week. First, if it’s still 85°F at 8pm when you start making dinner, minimizing the amount of time spent adding heat to my kitchen becomes a high priority. Second, whether you’re using homemade stock or store-bought, that stuff is liquid gold. Using the pressure cooker means you don’t lose any liquid to evaporation, so you can get away with using up less.

SERVES 4

NOTE: I used a 3-quart, stovetop pressure cooker for this recipe. It will work fine in a larger pot, up to about 6 quarts(you may need to increase the quantities in order to reach the minimum capacity), but it will take longer. If you don’t have one, or if you choose the traditional method, you’ll need to make some adjustments.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini (I used one green and 1 yellow), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup shelled peas

1 garlic clove, crushed

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (approximately ¼ cup lemon juice)

1 small onion (red or yellow), diced

1½ cups arborio rice

¼ cup dry white wine

2½ cups vegetable broth (I make mine in the pressure cooker with frozen vegetable scraps, but if you don’t have any homemade stock handy, store-bought is fine)

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

⅓ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Basil or parsley, to garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over a medium to high heat. When it begins shimmering, add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 8–10 minutes). Drain any liquid from the zucchinis and set aside.
2. In the pressure cooker, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over a medium to high heat. When it begins shimmering, add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
3. Add the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the rice is translucent and coated in oil.
4. Pour in the wine and lemon juice, stir until most of the liquid has absorbed (1–2 minutes).
5. Add the vegetable broth, 1 cup of water, and a pinch of the lemon zest and lock the lid. Bring to high pressure, then lower the heat cook for 8 minutes.
6. While the pressure cooker is doing its thing, heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil begins shimmering, add the garlic, breadcrumbs, and lemon rind. Stir regularly until the breadcrumbs become golden (4–5 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.
7. Release the pressure using the quick-release function. It will probably look like there’s too much liquid, but if you continue cooking on low and stir for about a minute, it should come together.
8. Add the zucchini and peas, and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes until the peas are a bright green.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmigiano reggiano until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve immediately, topped with the fried breadcrumb mixture, more parmigiano reggiano, and some fresh basil or parsley.