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Risotto aficionados are very particular about their risotto-making, but I’m not, which means I can throw together a tasty rule-breaking risotto that takes advantage of whatever other good ingredients I have on hand.

That knack comes in handy this time of year when, for instance, you have zucchini galore and you’d really like to use it in a different way. Or perhaps the thrill of a plain, fresh tomato isn’t quite as thrilling now as it was a couple of weeks ago. Or maybe you have mountains of peppers and your freezer is full.

Enter Renegade Risotto (so named because it breaks the rules).

As I mentioned some time ago, risotto is one of those dishes that I use as a base for whatever’s in reason, and when you make it the renegade way, you don’t have to sweat too much over a hot stove to make it work. The renegade way means you don’t stir constantly for 40 minutes, you don’t keep stock simmering on a side burner, and you don’t add stock by the ladleful. I make it easy on myself, and it turns out fine.

I’ll admit that summer may not seem like the primo time for risotto; it is, after all, a wonderful comfort in cold weather. But it works. As an added bonus, although one that I haven’t done—yet—you can make balls or patties out of leftovers (if any) and fry them for another another meal. I’ve eaten fried risotto, and it was delish, but I haven’t made it.

Renegade risotto

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white wine or vermouth
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley or other herbs (optional)
• 3-4 cups nicely flavored broth or water, warm or at room temperature, divided
• 2-3 cups diced fresh vegetables (see note)
• 1/2 cup savory additions (see note, optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in heavy 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add onions; cook 1 minute.
2. Add rice and salt. Stir well to coat rice with oil. Cook a minute or two, stirring occasionally.
3. When mixture is fragrant and some rice grains are getting a touch of golden color, add wine if desired, and stir. Add about a cup of broth, and stir still mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer while you have a glass of wine or start a salad.
4. Peek at the rice every few minutes and stir now and then. When the broth has been mostly absorbed, add another cup of broth. Stir until mixture returns to the simmer, then go finish your wine or salad.
5. When the broth is mostly absorbed, add just enough more broth to cover the rice. Again, stir till at the simmer and check periodically until most of the broth is absorbed.
6. By now, about 30 minutes or so has passed, and the rice will be very firm but not crunchy. (If not, add more liquid and cook until rice is at that stage.) Throw in your parsley and vegetables.
7. Stir, and continue cooking until vegetables are just tender or al dente, about 5 minutes. The rice will be tender but firm. If necessary, add more broth, a little at a time, to keep mixture moist but not soupy, which will depend on how much liquid your vegetables give off.
8. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Aim for vegetables that will cook at about the same rate, or keep in mind their differing cooking times when you add them to the pot. Good choices include bell peppers of different colors and or some peppers with a little heat like Anaheims or poblanos, diced or shredded squash (if desired, you can salt them in advance and let them “sweat” to remove some of their liquid), diced tomatoes. Possible savory additions include diced ham, leftover chicken, bits of proscuitto, kalamata olives. Add the things you love. A heavy pan is critical here to assure slow, even cooking and not burning.

So that’s it. You wind up with a pot of nicely flavored rice in its arborio “sauce” along with quickly cooked flavorful vegetables. Greens work really well in the spring or fall, but you can just add them at the very end.

Purists may shudder at this presentation, and maybe it isn’t as perfect as the risotto that requires you to stand for 40 minutes stirring constantly while keeping your broth hot on the side. May be. But this is still darned good, and I’d rather have something darned good that I didn’t have to fuss about than something transcendent that doesn’t get made because my back says no-no to all that standing.

So: Give it a try. Let me know what you think.