Classic Risotto

A dark gray bowl with creamy risotto in it with fresh basil on top of it and a fork in the bowl. The bowl of risotto is arranged on a wooden board with white wine, a block of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and a gray napkin placed around it.

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!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword how to make risotto, risotto

Freezer Friendly No

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 20

Total Time 28

Servings

Calories 475kcal

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!

Video

Notes

1 cup of dry arborio rice yields about 3 cups of cooked risotto, so you can adjust the servings accordingly.

Nutrition