Risotto image from the original recipe.
Rice has long been associated with life, prosperity, and sustenance. It’s a staple food for a majority of the world’s people, especially those living in Asia, Latin America and portions of Africa. European countries, too, have a fondness for rice dishes: think Spain’s paella, Greek lemon rice, and short-grain, high-starch varieties like Arborio are a staple in Italian cuisine. Today we are going to explore one of Italy’s most popular and beloved rice dishes: risotto, which is most commonly made with short-grain rice like the above-mentioned Arborio.
Despite what you may have heard, making risotto is neither complicated nor difficult, but it does require attention and time. To produce creamy risotto, you have to have patience and allow the rice starch to slowly release into the hot liquid that is added gradually, while stirring all the while. Risotto is one of Italy’s national dishes and because the ingredients are simple, they must be best-quality.
This means rich, flavorful homemade or good canned, salt-free stock. Chicken stock is the most popular choice, though some chefs prefer salted water. Until you’re confident about your flavor profiles, I recommend chicken stock. Too, I highly recommend you practice mise en place, not only for this recipe but all future ones. This French culinary term simply means:
- Read the recipe all the way through first.
- Make certain you have all your ingredients and necessary equipment.
- Prep and measure items before you begin cooking. If you plan to sauté aromatics, prep, chop and cook them beforehand.
- Clean as you go.
This is a fairly easy, creamy risotto rich with garlic and parmesan cheese, and you can make it in less than 30 minutes. The recipe uses white wine. If you don’t like using wine in your cooking, then you can substitute additional stock.
If you do choose to use wine, please select one you like drinking and AVOID anything labeled “cooking wine” – it’s usually fortified wine of lesser flavor and is full of added salt and preservatives. This is not a set and forget recipe, but It is the perfect dish to prepare while winding down from a hectic day. You might even enjoy having a refreshing beverage while you cook.
One last hint: heat the stock in a separate saucepan on the stove near your cooking pot. You want it simmering, never boiling.
Creamy Risotto with Garlic and Parmesan
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
- ½ cup onion (white or yellow), finely diced
- 6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cups chicken stock, heated to a low simmer
- ⅔ cup dry white wine, room temperature (or additional stock)
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- 1½ cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
- 4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Perform your mise en place, which should include heating your stock and keeping it warm.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and olive oil to the pan.
- Once the butter is melted, add onions to pan and saute until just tender, but not colored.
- Add garlic to onion mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Add rice to the pan and stir to coat each grain of rice with butter/oil mixture.
- Add wine (or 2/3 C. warm stock) and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add 1 ladle full of stock to the rice mixture and stir until it is absorbed.
- Continue adding stock and stir until you’ve used up most of the stock – this takes about 20-25 minutes.
- When you add the last ladle of stock, only allow it to absorb half of the liquid, then add grated Parmesan cheese and stir.
- Let the rice absorb stock until it is creamy and thick, not soupy.
- Stir in parsley and serve, sprinkled with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
- Mangia!
Once you’re comfortable with the concept of risotto-making, then you can try various regional favorites like Risotto alla Milanese (featuring saffron and sometimes beef marrow), Mushroom Risotto (from Piedmont region in Northern Italy), and/ or Risotto Primavera (with sautéed spring vegetables).
By Coral Stone · From the April 2025 issue.