Best Risotto Recipes
Start with a Basic Risotto Recipe - Make Your Own Recipe for Risotto
Risotto recipes are easy to throw together. Start with our basic risotto recipe and make any recipe for risotto that tickles your fancy...
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I LOVE risotto! On the cooking competition shows like Top Chef, etc, they talk about risotto as though it is very tricky to make. Personally, I don't agree. I made it for the first time a couple of years ago, from a Rachael Ray recipe. While it is "fiddly" to make, that is, it needs a lot of attention, it's not really hard.
I decided to add a risotto section to this "thrown together" recipes website, because you can do so much with a basic risotto recipe. There are just so many directions you can go with a recipe for risotto. You can use it as a side dish for almost any meal, but especially Italian type meals, such as chicken parmigiana or veal marsala. But you can also mix vegetables and/or proteins in to make it a complete meal. Your choice!
Risotto comes to us from the Italian culture. Basically, risotto is just an Italian method of cooking a specific type of rice, called arborio rice. Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice that is named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley in Italy, where it is grown. When cooked, the rounded grains are firm, creamy, and chewy, due to the higher amylopectin starch content of this rice. It has a starchy taste of its own, yet blends well with other flavors in a variety of risotto recipes.
Basic Risotto Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups broth
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup diced onions
3 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup wine
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt/fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Get your broth heating in a small pan. Once it's simmering, turn it down to low. Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until transparent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Next, add the rice to the onion mixture in the skillet and stir to coat the grains. Cook and stir over low for a minute or so, then add the wine. Cook until the wine reduces by about half. Then, add about a cup of the hot broth.
Stir the rice frequently, until the broth is absorbed. Continue to add more broth one ladle at a time, stirring frequently until it is absorbed. Repeat until the rice is creamy on the outside and slightly firm (al dente) when you bite into it. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Don't rush it!
Take the risotto off the heat and stir in about half of the cheese. Season to taste with salt/pepper. Mix in any other ingredients. If the rice is too dry, feel free to add in a small amount of broth to make it creamy. Serve with more Parmesan.
This recipe makes 4 servings. I left this basic risotto recipe above generic, but the traditional preparation uses chicken stock (broth) and white wine. You can use the variations below, however, to make a truly unique risotto recipe.
| NUTRITION FACTS | |
| Calories per serving | 437 |
| Total fat | 6g |
| Saturated fat | 2g |
| Total carbohydrates | 71g |
| Fiber | 6g |
| Protein | 19g |
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe
Variations
I'm going to be a bit more detailed with this recipe than I am most other places on the site, because there are so many directions you can go with this.
Roasted red pepper risotto. To make this variation, roast some red peppers in the oven with olive oil and salt/pepper for about 5 to 8 minutes while your rice is cooking (or you could just use jarred roasted red peppers too). Add them in with the Parmesan at the end.
Mushroom sage risotto recipe. For this version, cook 1 cup mushrooms with the onions (any variety, your choice) and then add 1/4 tsp dried sage with the garlic.
Risotto with Bell Peppers. Dice 3 colors of Bell peppers and cook them in with the onions.
Red wine risotto. Instead of white wine, use a red wine for a richer flavor and color. Beef broth would go well with this version too, as would Baby Bella mushrooms.
Spicy tomato scallop risotto. In a separate pan, sauté 2 cloves of garlic and 1 small chopped onion in some olive oil over medium high heat. When softened, add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the broth and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors and then add about 1 pound of scallops (or shrimp), cooking till done for about 5 minutes. Add mixture to risotto at the end.
Roasted veggie risotto. Roast broccoli, carrots, asparagus, pumpkin or any other firm vegetable for about 5 to 8 minutes (sprinkle with olive oil and seasonings first) while your risotto is cooking. When risotto is done, add the vegetables in with the Parmesan cheese.
Gourmet risotto. This risotto adds artichoke hearts and roasted almonds for a truly gourmet flavor. Sauté the artichoke in with the onions and garlic, then while the risotto is cooking, roast your almonds in a 350-degree oven on an ungreased pan for about 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Add them in at the end.
Pumpkin blue cheese risotto. I found this one on Big Oven. Cut fresh pumpkin up into small chunks and roast in the oven at 400 degrees after seasoning with olive oil and coarse salt. When the rice is creamy and al dente, add in about 1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese (instead of Parmesan) and 1 T. butter. Then, gently stir in the roasted pumpkin.
- Other variations can be created by adding in vegetables such as green peas, spinach, and even diced potatoes. Seasonings can be switched up too. Or mix in bite-sized chunks of chicken, turkey, tilapia, or other proteins. Check my friend Ana Maria's "All About Italian" website for even more delicious risotto recipes.
Would you like to share with us your own favorite recipe for risotto? I'd love to add them here! Just fill out our easy form...
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As you can see, there are few limits as to what direction you can take risotto recipes. You are limited only by your imagination. And remember, if you follow the steps outlined on this page, making the basic risotto recipe is not hard. It just takes focus and a bit more time than many other meals. Definitely well worth the effort, though!
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