How To Make A Great Risotto
Well, happy February everyone! We officially made it through January 2021 – and the year can only go up from here, right?! Plus, Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day is this month!! I’ll admit, I’m usually not a huge Valentine’s Day fan, but I am HERE FOR IT this year. Both of us are really feeling the weight of both winter and the pandemic right now, so any excuse to have something lovely to celebrate is fine by me. Give me all the cocktails and pretty flowers and delicious food, please!
And speaking of delicious food, I am working on a Mushroom and Truffle Risotto that’s coming your way later this week… and as I was figuring out the recipe, I realized that I’ve never really shown you guys how to make a basic risotto. So before I post the fancy Valentine’s Day version in a few days, I wanted to give you some more insights into how to master this Italian rice dish.
How To Make A Great Risotto
What is risotto?
Risotto originated in northern Italy, and it is starchy rice cooked with broth until it becomes creamy. I grew up cooking risotto with my Mom and Nana, and I love that Adam loves it as much as I do now. It is traditionally served as a first course before the main course in Italy, but we usually serve it for dinner with chicken cutlets or garlicky shrimp, and a big salad.
There is definitely some technique involved, but I promise it’s not hard to master! You mostly just need to get your head around the fact that you can’t add broth to rice and walk away from it. You have to stir in some love as it cooks – along with a few special ingredients that remind me of Christmas dinners and cozy nights at my Nana and Papa’s house.
Scroll down for the recipe, along with some tips that might be helpful for you! And while my mushroom and truffle risotto might be a little fancier for Valentine’s Day, I promise this basic version is still so special and perfect for a date night in, dinner party, or special occasion. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
4 slices of prosciutto, roughly chopped
1/4 cup frozen peas
Instructions
1. Start by heating your broth on a small pot. You’ll want to keep it at a low simmer the whole time you’re cooking.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one minute, just until fragrant.
4. Add the rice and toast lightly for 2-3 minutes. You want the outsides to cook slightly, but not brown at all.
5. Add the white wine and reduce down for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Start adding the hot stock. I add about a ladle to a ladle and a half at a time, stirring the rice with a wooden spoon in between each ladle. Avoid rushing through this over high heat – it takes a little time for the rice to release it’s starches.
7. After about 15 to 20 minutes of ladling broth in and stirring continuously, you should be running out of broth and your rice should be al dente.
8. At this point, gently stir in the prosciutto, peas, and parmesan cheese. Stir everything together and ensure the the peas have defrosted.
9. Give a small spoonful a try and adjust salt and pepper seasonings to taste.
10. If the rice has fully absorbed the liquid, it should already be a creamy risotto, but if you want it extra creamy, you could also add a little dab of butter at the end.
11. Serve immediately and enjoy! (We love this with shrimp or chicken cutlets the best!)
Tips For Making A Great Risotto
Stir often!
As I mentioned in the recipe, stirring is really important if you’re trying to make a perfect risotto. Don’t worry, you won’t be chained to the stove – you can take breaks! It’s just definitely not a “set it and forget it” type of recipe. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put some music on, and enjoy the process!
Type of Rice
I always grew up using arborio rice because that is most widely available. However, there are a few other rice varieties that Italians would recommend including Carnaroli, Maratelli, and Vialone Nano.
Cook additions separately
Don’t like prosciutto and peas? You can add whatever protein and vegetables you want! That being said, if those ingredients need cooking, cook them separately. For example, if you want to add sausage, cook that first and remove it from the pan. Then cook the risotto and add the sausage back in at the end. Same goes for zucchini, asparagus, shrimp, mushrooms, you name it!
Other Ingredient Swaps
If you don’t have an onion and garlic, I’ve made risotto with a shallot instead and it’s lovely. You can also use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth – I’d just stay away from beef broth, unless you want it to be a very rich risotto. And lastly, if you don’t have any white wine on hand, you can deglaze the pan with a little lemon instead. It will change the taste a bit, but if you like lemon, it’s still delicious!
Add Herbs/Spices
Have some parsley or basil on hand? Throw it in there at the end! Craving some spice? Add some red pepper flakes! You could even have fun with additions like saffron, truffle salt, or turmeric to change it up.
Make it Vegetarian
I make vegetarian risotto all the time!! Just use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock and load it up with veggies instead of adding any meat. It’s delicious!
1. Start by heating your broth on a small pot. You’ll want to keep it at a low simmer the whole time you’re cooking. 2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute for a few minutes until it starts to soften. 3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one minute, just until fragrant. 4. Add the rice and toast lightly for 2-3 minutes. You want the outsides to cook slightly, but not brown at all. 5. Add the white wine and reduce down for another 2-3 minutes. 6. Start adding the hot stock. I add about a ladle to a ladle and a half at a time, stirring the rice with a wooden spoon in between each ladle. Avoid rushing through this over high heat - it takes a little time for the rice to release it’s starches. 7. After about 15 to 20 minutes of ladling broth in and stirring continuously, you should be running out of broth and your rice should be al dente. 8. At this point, gently stir in the prosciutto, peas, and parmesan cheese. Stir everything together and ensure the the peas have defrosted. 9. Give a small spoonful a try and adjust salt and pepper seasonings to taste. 10. If the rice has fully absorbed the liquid, it should already be a creamy risotto, but if you want it extra creamy, you could also add a little dab of butter at the end. 11. Serve immediately and enjoy! (We love this with shrimp or chicken cutlets the best!) As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How To Make A Great Risotto
Ingredients
Instructions
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