Can I just mention how much I LOVE making risotto? A lot of people don’t like making it only because it is time consuming. I get it, people come home from work and not want to give effort into dinner. Just quick, easy & simple dinners for you and your family. However, making risotto is actually easy! Sure, it is time consuming, but it’s well worth it with the result that comes! For risotto, you always want to do a 1:3 ratio. For every cup of rice, add 3 cups of broth. I have yet to make it with water and it is possible, but I don’t recommend it. It comes out creamy when you use broth. Along with broth, you need to add butter and parmesan cheese. It makes it even creamier with the butter added, and gives it a salt factor with the cheese.
The rice I use is Rice Select Arborio Rice. It’s the only rice I’ve used, and it’s worked out for me. I may experiment with other Arborio Rice brands, but that will have to be later. As for the wine you use, you can use any dry white wine. I used Seastone Vinho Verde. This is available at any Total Wine & More! It’s a nice wine to enjoy too, just in case if you need a drink while cooking. If you use this wine as well, don’t be alarmed when it looks like it’s fizzing. It is a frizzante wine (a bit of bubble to it). As for broth, any chicken broth works! You can even substitute for vegetable broth or beef broth. The beef broth definitely gives it an amazing flavor. It gives it a more robust flavor, as if it was boiled with beef bones. Make sure you simmer the broth in a separate pot before adding it to the risotto. Heating the broth before adding it to the risotto rice is going to produce the same creamy, dreamy texture. It’s a comfort food and without simmering the broth first, the arborio rice won’t release it’s starch and it won’t be creamy.
Guess what? You can do anything with risotto! You can make a mushroom risotto, a butternut squash risotto, a tomato risotto like I did (as pictured below) and the list goes on! Risotto is basically pasta, which I describe as an empty canvas you can make anything with.
I GOT A NEW RECIPE CARD APP! Look how cool this is! Let me know if it works for you. I played with this for HOURS last night and I finally got it working.
Parmesan Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped (one half of the shallot since it comes in twos)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine (I used a vinho verde)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat broth in a pot. Bring it to a simmer, not boiling. Cover and keep heat on low once simmering.
- Heat butter in a separate pot on medium heat until melted, then add shallots and garlic. Sauté until aromatic and slightly soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter and toast for about 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pot and simmer on medium-low heat until wine is reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Once wine is reduced, start adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time. Stir and simmer until the broth reduces. Once it reduces, add another cup. Repeat until all the broth is used up, about 20-25 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently.
- Remove from heat. Add butter to the risotto and mix into the risotto. Add the parmesan cheese and mix into the risotto. Serve with parsley sprinkled on top as garnish.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
363.76Fat (grams)
21.88Sat. Fat (grams)
13.02Carbs (grams)
21.91Fiber (grams)
0.55Net carbs
21.36Sugar (grams)
2.26Protein (grams)
10.04Sodium (milligrams)
1408.38Cholesterol (grams)
63.38