I’ve shared a few risotto recipes on this blog already. Each one of them came out much better than I imagined they would. For some reason, I always thought risotto was a challenge to prepare. It’s really not. All you need to do is combine some ingredients and do a lot of stirring.
The Recipe
The trick with making risotto is to, first off, use the correct rice. Not all rice becomes creamy when stirred for a half hour. The rice I used for this recipe is called Arborio, which is an Italian short-grain rice. It’s the one people generally use when preparing risotto.
Another step is to only add liquid to the pot when needed. The broth is added in half cup increments. When one half cup is absorbed into the rice and stirred, another half cup is added. This is repeated over and over again until just about five cups are absorbed into the rice and its accompanying ingredients. By that time, everything should be creamy and delicious tasting. It sure takes a while, but the dish is incredible and highly enjoyable.
The recipe I’m going to share with you today is a simple one. It uses onion, garlic, rice, wine, zucchini and some sun dried tomatoes to make a classic risotto dish. It’s tasty and more filling than it lets on. If you’re interested in the other risotto recipes I’ve shared on this site, take a look below.
Easy Risotto with Parmesan Cheese Recipe
Tomato, Spinach & Parmesan Cheese Risotto Recipe by Martha Stewart
Mushroom Risotto with Asparagus, Parmesan & Peas Recipe
Ingredients
Serves: 4
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion, Chopped
1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
1 Cup Arborio Rice
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
About 5 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 Zucchini, Sliced
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Williams-Sonoma for their fabulous (and very large) cookbook called Savoring Italy. I pulled this recipe from this resource and made it my own. I substituted a few ingredients for some others and I think my version is a step in the right direction. I’m extremely pleased with it.
Warm the Broth
Add the broth to a medium sized saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat so the broth is just simmering. The goal here is to keep the liquid hot so when you add it to the rice later on, it doesn’t need to warm up all over again.
Soften the Onion
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and all the oil. Then, add the chopped onion and cook, while stirring, for about 8 minutes or until it’s softened. Once the onion is soft, add in the garlic and the rice and cook for 2 more minutes. Finally, add the wine and cook, while stirring, until the wine is absorbed into the rice. This should only take a few minutes.
Add the Zucchini
At this point, you can add half of the sliced zucchini. Also, begin adding the broth in 1/2 cup increments. As I said above, you’ll need to add the broth, stir until it’s absorbed and then add it again.
Continue Cooking Risotto
About half way through the cooking and constant stirring, go ahead and add the other half of the zucchini. Also, add in a few pinches of salt and a few pinches of pepper.
The entire cooking process should take about 25 minutes. After that time, you’ll need to taste the risotto to see if it’s finished. You may need more stock or you may need less. It totally depends on how your unique situation is going. Taste the risotto and if it’s still firm at the center but creamy on the exterior, it’s finished.
Add the Tomatoes & Cheese
Once the risotto is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat. Then, stir in the sun dried tomatoes, the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and most of the Parmesan cheese. Reserve a bit of cheese so you can sprinkle it on each bowl.
Plate & Serve
Once everything is done, divide the risotto between 4 bowls. Then, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on each bowl and serve.
The Final Risotto
If you made it this far, you should pat yourself on the back. This really is a world class dish and you should be proud that you made it. There are a ton of different ways to prepare similar risotto, so if you enjoy it, get creative. Thanks for reading!
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