Risotto is deceptively simple to make - all you need is a little bit of patience and this recipe to walk you through the steps. The perfect Italian risotto is here! It is traditionally a side dish, but paired with a well cooked protein on top, you can have an entire meal in a bowl. This dish everything you could want it to be: creamy, savory, filling, flavorful, and (best of all) easy.
Notes For a Successful Risotto:
- Do not rush the process! 'Patience' truly is a key ingredient. Just take it low and slow as the recipe says and it will turn out perfect.
- Most of my recipes are highly customizable, but you really do want to stick with the Arborio Rice for this recipe. It will give you the texture and consistency that you are looking for. Substitute at your own risk!
- Use cooking wine that you would be happy to drink a glass of. Cooking wine just never tastes as good.
- High quality ingredients are worth it for risotto. It requires so few of them that you will taste each and every ingredient. Make them count and get the good stuff!
- This recipe is almost vegetarian (except the chicken stock). Try veggie stock and tell me in the comments how it turns out!
How to make Risotto
Ingredients you'll need:
- 3 Tablespoons Shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice*
- 5 Tablespoons White Wine (Pinot Gris)
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (or basil)
Instructions for Risotto:
Step 1 : Chop shallots and shred parmesan cheese.
Step 2 : On medium heat, add butter and EVOO to your stock pot. Once hot, add in minced shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes until tender.
Step 3 : On a separate burner with a separate pot, heat up chicken stock until it begins to simmer. Keep this at a low simmer.
Step 4 : Once shallots are tender, add in rice and cook for 3 minutes until butter and oil coat the rice and it's slightly translucent. Then, over medium heat, add in white wine and cook until almost all of the wine is dissolved.
Step 5 : Still on medium heat, add and stir in chicken stock to rice mixture one ladle at a time. Once the ladle worth of chicken stock has almost dissolved, add and stir in another ladle. Repeat this process until all of the chicken stock is gone. This should take about 20 minutes. Rice should be al dente, not mushy.
Step 6 : To finish, stir in heavy cream for 2 minutes. Take off heat and mix in parmesan cheese.
Step 7 : Top with fresh parsley or basil and enjoy!
Serving Risotto
This dish is so decadent and flavorful, you want to make sure you're not overpowering it in the meal. I suggest a well cooked and seasoned protein on the side - grilled chicken or steak is perfect. To add a veggie, folly suit with the "less is more" approach as to not overpower the risotto. Lightly cooked and seasoned seasonal veggies such as green beans or summer squash sounds delicious!
Video of Risotto Recipe
Recipe
Risotto
Equipment
- Skillet/Pan
- 2 3 Quart Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 3 tablespoon Shallot finely chopped
- 5 tablespoon White Wine Pinot Gris
- 1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoon Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley or basil
Instructions
- Chop shallots and shred parmesan cheese.
- On medium heat, add butter and EVOO to your stock pot. Once hot, add in minced shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes until tender.
- On a separate burner with a separate pot, heat up chicken stock until it begins to simmer. Keep this at a low simmer.
- Once shallots are tender, add in rice and cook for 3 minutes until butter and oil coat the rice and it's slightly translucent. Then, over medium heat, add in white wine and cook until almost all of the wine is dissolved.
- Still on medium heat, add and stir in chicken stock to rice mixture one ladle at a time. Once the ladle worth of chicken stock has almost dissolved, add and stir in another ladle. Repeat this process until all of the chicken stock is gone. This should take about 20 minutes. Rice should be al dente, not mushy.
- To finish, stir in heavy cream for 2 minutes. Take off heat and mix in parmesan cheese.
- Top with fresh parsley or basil and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Jacque Clowers says
This is one of my favorite sides that Tim makes!! It is deicious and feels so fancy!
CookitwithTim says
And easy too! People think Risotto is hard and they shy away. Just need 2 pots and some patience! Piece of cake!