Risotto
Risotto is one of those dishes that’s both simple and special. With just a few basic ingredients, you can create something rich and creamy with endless variations. Add vegetables like mushrooms, asparagus, or peas, or mix in shrimp or mussels for a heartier dish.
Making risotto is also a fun, hands-on kitchen activity. Kids can help stir, add ingredients, and lend a hand. Risotto is a great dish to master.
If you're serving risotto as a main course, balance it with light first and third courses. Or, for a more traditional Italian meal, serve a small portion as a primi piatti before the main dish.
Risotto makes an excellent next-day lunch for school or work — just pack it in a thermos to keep it warm.
This recipe gives you a solid base to work from, delicious on its own or ready for your favorite add-ins. See the notes below for serving suggestions and variations.
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1 medium onion
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 to 1 cup of freshly grated grana padano or Parmesan cheese
4 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock (see note)
Sea salt or Celtic salt
Freshly ground pepper
Optional: fresh parsley and 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
Mince the garlic and onion.
Heat the stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep warm.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter to a sauté pan and warm over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent but not browned.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for one minute.
Stir in the rice, coating it well with the oil and butter. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains turn mostly translucent with a small white center.
Pour in ½ cup of dry white wine and stir. Let it cook until the rice absorbs the wine.
Add about 1½ ladles of stock, just enough to cover the rice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until most of the stock has been absorbed.
Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, stirring often, until the rice is tender and creamy. This takes about 20 minutes.
Stir in the grated cheese, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Mix well.
Add any other additional ingredients. See the notes below for ideas.
Notes:
Using chicken stock will give your risotto delicious flavor, but vegetable stock is a wonderful option for vegetarian risotto.
Risotto is so versatile; you can add anything you like. My two favorite additions are truffle oil in the winter — usually to go with mushrooms. In the summer, it's always fresh lemon juice. Some other great additions are
- Lemon zest
- Fresh herbs — basil, parsley, chervil, or rosemary
- Fresh peas or asparagus
- Roasted butternut squash
- Shrimp
You can have a lot of fun designing your risotto!
Risotto with lemon juice and zest
Risotto with truffle oil and mushrooms
Find it online: https://returntothetable.com/risotto/