Anyone with a penchant for Italian cuisine will be familiar with the creamy, voluptuous delight that is risotto. It is a traditional Italian rice dish, typically crafted with short grain white rice varieties like Arborio or Carnaroli. Cinzia Merli, the winemaker, brings a new twist to this hearty dish. She ingeniously weaves the mild flavors of sautéed zucchini and the decadence of parmesan cheese to create a zucchini risotto - a feast that is both luscious and airy.

This risotto's signature creamy texture springs from a careful culinary process. It involves gently adding a flavored stock in installments to the rice and ensuring it is fully absorbed before introducing the next batch. For this zucchini risotto, a splash of white wine and fortified shrimp broth are added to infuse the risotto with a delightful seafood flavor.

Contrary to the norm, where rinsing the rice ensures a refined texture, a crucial tip to achieve this risotto's velvety texture is refraining from washing the rice before cooking. This allows the extra starch, which usually gets washed away in other rice dishes, to lend the trademark creamy texture characteristic of risotto.

To get the best flavors when pairing, opt for a Mediterranean white wine, like the Le Macchiole Paleo Bianco. Its salty and citrusy undertones offer an excellent counterpoint to the rich creaminess of the zucchini risotto. Moreover, you can prepare the shrimp broth up to 2 days in advance and keep it in an airtight container for future use.

Here's a sneak peek into the recipe: Firstly, aromatic shrimp shells are simmered in vegetable broth, imparting a delightful seafood flavor into the rice grains. Sumptuous cubes of zucchini are then sautéed until tender, and a pinch of crushed red pepper is added to ignite a hint of spice. The rice is carefully stirred into this mix, alongside a generous splash of white wine and a sprinkle of kosher salt for taste. Poached shrimp top off this creamy delight, providing a tender, textural contrast to the zucchini risotto.

Each mouthful of this zucchini risotto is a wave of comfort food ecstasy, and it follows Cinzia Merli's recipe guarantees a risotto that is both creamy and feather-light. So the next time you catch yourself longing for an Italian culinary escapade, look no further. This zucchini risotto stands waiting, promising an unforgettable taste journey with each bite.

This recipe was originally featured in Food & Wine magazine's April 2024 issue.