When you’re a comfort food lover and Cuban-American like I am, white rice is practically in your DNA.
So, of course, I love all types of rice, especially this creamy and delicious Parmesan risotto. It’s like a velvety mix between rice and pasta that’s just oh so flavorful.
I always thought risotto was this fancy dish that was difficult to make at home but it’s far from it!
Sure, it takes time and patience to make it but it’s definitely not hard. While I’ve tried all types of risotto, I personally love this basic Parmesan risotto recipe.
Here’s how I made it!
Ingredients for Parmesan Risotto
First things first, let’s break down the ingredients.
- Arborio rice – This is the Italian-style short-grain rice and the ultimate choice for any risotto dish.
- Chicken stock – This helps release the natural starches from the rice giving it its creamy texture and delicious flavor since the rice absorbs the stock as it cooks. I like using low sodium chicken stock so I can manually adjust the salt later on.
- Dry white wine – This gives flavor and also, the acidity needed to balance out all that richness.
- Extra virgin olive oil + butter + shallots – This is the trifecta made in aromatics heaven. The fat from the oil + butter helps release the deep flavor of the shallots at the beginning of a dish and then the butter, once again, adds to that creamy texture at the end.
- Parmesan cheese – This is the binder that brings it all together! The grated Parmesan cheese mixed with the remaining butter at the end of the dish is the cherry on top of the perfect dish.
Recommended For This Recipe
How To Make Creamy Parmesan Risotto
- Heat up the chicken stock. You want to make sure the chicken stock is hot when you stir it into the rice. Cold or room temperature chicken stock could result in hard, crunchy rice. No bueno.
- Sauté the shallots. In another saucepan, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Make the risotto. This process will take about 20-30 minutes but I promise, patience is a virtue here. After you stir the rice with the butter, oil, and shallots. You add the dry white wine and ensure it is fully absorbed before adding more liquid. You have to go low and slow here until the rice is tender yet al dente. Once all the chicken stock is incorporated, stir in remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste and enjoy the creamiest risotto ever!
What exactly is risotto?
Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish cooked with broth, white wine, butter, and Parmesan cheese.
What rice is used for risotto?
Arborio rice is an Italian-style short-grain rice that is perfect for risotto.
What does risotto taste like?
Risotto tastes slightly sweet and earthy with a delicious creamy consistency.
What do you serve with parmesan risotto?
The perfect pairing with this risotto is my red wine braised short ribs. So good! I also like pairing risotto with seared scallops, garlic shrimp, and smoky chicken.
Can’t wait for you to make this dish!
Easy Parmesan Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (short-grain Italian rice)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- In another saucepan, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter, oil, and shallots. Toast for a minute without letting it burn. Add the dry white wine while stirring until the wine is absorbed.
- Using a ladle, add the hot chicken stock, a ladle at a time, until fully absorbed. Continue to stir the rice and add chicken stock, a ladle at a time, until fully absorbed. Repeat until the rice is tender yet al dente. This process will take about 20-30 minutes.
- Once all the chicken stock is incorporated, stir in remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
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