Parmesan Risotto

Classic Parmesan Risotto Is Easy To Make

We’ve got an easy Parmesan risotto recipe that you can add to your weeknight repertoire, subbing it in when you’re craving a rich and creamy side dish. We love to make this Parmesan risotto with lemon and garlic and serve it along with our One-Pot Braised Chicken with Kale and White Beans, Fish Puttanesca, or cook up a few vegetables like Perfectly Roasted Broccoli, and Roasted Mushrooms and serve everything into a bowl for a satisfying vegetarian meal. It requires just a handful of ingredients, and a little time to make this cozy Parmesan risotto recipe. If you’d like the risotto to be the star of the show, you could serve it as the main dish with a Simple Butter Lettuce Salad on the side. Don’t forget the wine! We recommend a dry white wine (one that you might like to drink with your meal!), like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay.

What Is Risotto?

Risotto is one of our favorite Italian dishes, made from starchy short-grained rice–arborio rice is the most common variety used to make risotto, but there are a handful of varieties that can absorb liquids and release starch when they are cooked. Risotto, unlike other rice preparations, has a standard method of preparation. First, the rice shouldn’t be rinsed because you don’t want to remove any of the starch from the grains. To begin cooking, the rice is cooked briefly with shallot onions and butter to coat the grains. What Is The Secret To Creamy Risotto? The first secret is this: you can’t rush the cooking process. Risotto is not a pop-in-the-rice-cooker kind of meal. Make sure you give yourself 45 minutes to prepare, and you’ll be pleased as punch with the results. The next secret is to add warmed stock, a little at a time, so the rice can absorb it, along with gentle stirring so the rice can release its starches. This give and take process will produce a perfectly creamy risotto, with a firm toothsome texture.

How To Make Parmesan Risotto

We hear you wondering, does risotto need Parmesan? And our answer is no, but it’s a very good idea to add it to this rice after it’s slowly cooked in wine and stock for about 20-25 minutes.

1. Prepare the chicken stock (or vegetable stock if using)–warm it in a small saucepan over low heat.

2. Start the risotto base–in a large saucepan or dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add shallots and cook until translucent, then add garlic and the rice and cook, stirring often, until rice is fragrant and evenly coated in oil.

3. Begin to add the liquids. Start with the white wine, lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Next, add one cup of broth and stir continuously until broth is absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Continue adding broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly, until all broth is mostly absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.

4. Cook until nice and creamy. Reduce heat to low and gently stir in heavy cream, the remaining butter and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, until fully incorporated and cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. The consistency will be thick and creamy, and delightfully rich.

5. Enjoy! Transfer risotto to a serving bowl and top with freshly ground pepper and more parmesan to suit your taste.

Tools You’ll Need

• Small saucepan

• Large saucepan or Dutch oven

• Your favorite stirring utensil–a nice wooden spoon or silicone spatula

• Citrus zester

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Kitchen knife

More Delicious Recipes–Risotto And Risotto-ish Dishes

Once you get the hang of it, we have more great risotto dishes (and a few other fun ones!) for you to try, like:

• If you’d like to make more risotto recipes, you can try our Orzo Risotto or Creamy Chicken Orzo, Red Curry Risotto With Shrimp, or Wild Mushroom Risotto

• This Creamy Polenta recipe makes another great hearty side

• Chicken and Rice Soup or Leftover Turkey Soup with Wild Rice for comforting, rice-filled soups

• You can also top parmesan risotto with Grilled Scallops or Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Once You Put Your Spoon Down, We’d Love To See Your Risotto!

Since you gave this parmesan risotto so much tender loving care, we’d love to see pictures of your creation. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!