This Italian rice dish is creamy and cheesy, made with special rice that makes all the difference in texture and consistency. The risotto is flavored with white wine and finished with butter, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh herbs!
I’ve been making risotto since the beginning of A Simple Palate. Although it’s often viewed as intimidating, I have always found it to be incredibly simple and loved by everyone I serve it to!
This creamy and cheesy rice is cooked gradually to help release the rice’s natural starches. It needs a bit of babying while you make it, as you can’t leave it unattended. Because of this, I recommend putting some tunes on and enjoying the cooking process!
We love to serve this alongside almost any dish we would serve rice with! It’s cheesy, comforting, and an impressive side dish that takes a little effort, but the results are always worth it.
Ingredients
Arborio rice—To make risotto properly, you need to use arborio rice, which has a high starch level. Because of its starchiness, it releases a ton of creaminess into the whole dish. A popular choice other than arborio would be carnaroli.
White wine—To add a depth of flavor to the dish, you’ll need a dry white wine. I like to use Pinot Grigio, but Sauvignon Blanc would also work great. Whatever white wine you use, make sure it’s dry and not sweet.
Chicken stock—The chicken stock is gradually added to the arborio rice to draw out the creamy starches. I like using quality store-bought or homemade chicken stock.
Parmigiano Reggiano—This cheese will bring the majority of the flavor to the dish. It adds more creaminess and a delicious salty flavor. I recommend finely grating it so it easily melts into the dish.
Shallot—This is a cross between an onion and garlic and has a lot of flavor. I wanted to use it instead of an onion to give a little bit more flavor to the base of the risotto, but you can also swap this for a small onion.
Fresh Basil—to add a pop of fresh flavor for serving!
Butter and oil—The butter and oil is for cooking the shallots, and then we use a little more butter at the end to add richness.
How to Make it
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1
Cook the shallots. In a large pan on medium to low heat, cook the shallots until soft with 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. This should take about 1-2 minutes, as shallots cook pretty quickly. Note: if you’re cooking onion instead, this will take 3-4 minutes.
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2
Toast the arborio rice. After the shallot is soft (not browned), add the arborio rice to the pan and “toast” it for about 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
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3
Add the wine. Then add 1/3 cup of dry white wine and cook it with the risotto until it’s absorbed (about 2 minutes).
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4
Add the chicken stock. Then add 1 to 2 ladles of chicken stock that’s already been heated to the risotto.
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5
Stir frequently. Gently stir the risotto with the stock until the stock has been absorbed.
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6
Repeat until the stock is used up and the risotto is cooked. Then repeat this process adding 1 to 2 ladles of stock at a time, stirring frequently until the stock is absorbed. Continue until the stock is all used up and the risotto is tender but still has a slight bite of al dente texture. Al Dente means “to the tooth” in Italian which means there is still a bite of texture when you bite into it and it’s not entirely soft/mushy.
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7
Add the butter. When the risotto is finished, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
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8
Add the freshly grated Parmigiano. Then grate one heaping cup of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano into the risotto.
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9
Stir in the cheese and add remaining finishing touches. Stir the cheese into the risotto, taste it – add more if needed. Then add a pinch of salt if it needs it. If the consistency of the risotto is stiffening up, add another splash of extra stock to loosen it up. Then serve with black pepper, fresh basil, and more freshly grated Parmigiano!
Tips for a Successful Risotto
Cook it gradually. Risotto is a dish that requires patience and a gradual process of drawing out the starches by slowly adding chicken stock little by little. Adding everything all at once will not have the creamy results that make a risotto what it is.
It’s all about the right consistency. Proper risotto, when done right, should be creamy (not runny) and slowly spread when it makes it to the plate. Think of it like a porridge type of consistency. The rice should not be mushy but tender with a slight bite of al dente texture.
Always toast the rice. Right before adding any wine or stock, risotto rice should be toasted in the pan with the aromatics for just a few minutes. This draws out a nutty flavor and prepares the starches from the rice to be released.
Never rinse the rice. Most regular rice dishes call for rinsing the rice under water to remove the starches, but this dish requires all the starches the rice has to offer. For that reason, never rinse the rice in risotto.
The flavor is in the finishing touches. Risotto is a simple dish, so it’s up to the cook to taste and season at the end until everything is just right. I recommend a generous heaping cup of Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for serving, as this cheese has excellent umami flavor and saltiness. If the dish still needs more flavor, add more cheese and another pinch of salt, and be sure to season with a generous pinch of black pepper and fresh herbs!
Always use heated stock, never cold or room temperature. Cool broth will take longer to heat up and delay cooking the risotto. The warmed stock will encourage the natural starches to release by opening up the grains.
Try carnaroli instead of Arborio. This is another type of risotto rice you can use instead of arborio, and it has an even higher starch level so it will make your risotto even creamier!
Make it alcohol free. If you prefer not to use wine, you can simply skip this step and leave it out.
Herbs to serve it with. I love topping my risotto with chopped fresh basil or parsley, or fresh thyme leaves.
Use onion and garlic instead of shallot. If you don’t want to use shallot, you can use one small onion or half of a medium onion along with 2-3 garlic cloves. If you do swap onion for a shallot, I recommend dicing it small so it blends evenly with the risotto.
Serving Suggestions
Risotto can be served just like rice alongside so many dishes! We recommend seafood – white fish, scallops, or shrimp. Or beef, pork, or grilled chicken pair great with it! Risotto is also famously served with various vegetables such as cooked mushrooms, asparagus, butternut squash, peas, or any vegetable you love.
Classic Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 3 shallots, diced
- 1 cup dry arborio rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, I use Pinot Grigio
- 32 oz chicken stock, Or vegetable or beef stock works
- 1 heaping cup finely and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the shallots. In a large pan on medium to low heat, cook the shallots until soft with 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. This should take about 1-2 minutes, as shallots cook pretty quickly. Note: if you’re using onions instead, this will take 3-4 minutes, and I recommend finely dicing the onion.
- Toast the arborio rice. After the shallot is soft (not browned), add the arborio rice to the pan and “toast” it for about 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
- Add the wine. Then add 1/3 cup of dry white wine and cook it with the risotto until it’s absorbed (about 2 minutes).
- Add the chicken stock and stir frequently. Then, add 1 to 1 1/2 ladles of already-warmed chicken stock to the risotto. Gently stir the risotto with the stock until the stock has been absorbed. Then repeat with another 1 to 1 1/2 ladles of stock, stirring frequently until the stock absorbs.
- Repeat until the stock is used up and the risotto is cooked. Continue until the stock is all used up and the risotto is tender but still has a slight bite of al dente texture. Al Dente means "to the tooth" in Italian, which means there is still a bite of texture when you bite into it, and it's not entirely soft/mushy.
- Add Parmigiano Reggiano and butter. When the risotto is finished, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and one heaping cup of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Finishing touches. Taste the risotto; if it needs more flavor, add more cheese and a pinch of salt until it's just right. Then serve the risotto with black pepper, chopped fresh basil, and more freshly grated Parmigiano cheese on top. Enjoy!
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