This light risotto from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate is easy as can be — and a great way to make the most of spring veggies.

Risotto might sound intimidating, but don’t let it scare you! It’s one of my favorite dishes to make, and while it requires a little bit of hands-on stirring, it’s a great excuse to pour a glass of wine and just enjoy the cooking process.

I’ve made many kinds of risotto over the years and they’re all special in their own way. This Carrot Risotto is perfect for the springtime and would be an amazing Easter brunch side dish.

It starts by drizzling some olive oil onto rainbow carrots and placing them in the oven to roast. These carrots are for serving and make this dish look oh-so-pretty! I served them whole on the side as I thought they were really pretty that way. If you’re serving this to a large group, you can chop them into big chunks and serve them on top.

While the carrots are roasting, you’ll make the actual risotto. The first step is to sauté leeks, shallots, diced carrots and garlic. I used regular orange carrots in the risotto, but you can use rainbow carrots if you want. After the vegetables are softened, the Arborio rice is added, along with some white wine to deglaze the pan. I always use whatever white wine I have open (risotto is also a great excuse to open a bottle of wine!), which is usually something like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. You can really use whatever wine you like, or if you don’t want to open a bottle, use white cooking wine.

This is the part where things get more hands on. You’ll add warm chicken broth to the risotto in about 1-cup increments, stirring and waiting until the rice has absorbed each addition before adding more. As I said, it’s not hard, but you have to be next to the stove most of the time. At the end, a generous portion of Parmesan cheese is stirred in, making this risotto super creamy and delicious. Topped off with some fresh chives and those roasted carrots, this Carrot Risotto is absolutely divine!