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My husband and I adore risotto, but until recently we rarely made it at home. We relied on boxed mixes for convenience—and some of them are quite tasty—but I grew tired of dumping powdered flavor packets into the pot. I’d much rather make risotto from scratch and use real ingredients.
Apparently I realized this a little too late, because my husband came home from Target with 15 boxes of flavored risotto. He’s on a bit of a kick right now, though I suspect it’ll fade in a few weeks. Our household has a history of fleeting obsessions: diet Mountain Dew, egg beaters, onions, pretzel crisps… we had plenty of phases that passed. If anyone wants to come grocery shopping at our house, you’ll find plenty of odd leftovers.
Making risotto has quickly become one of my favorite things to cook. The technique is simple and endlessly adaptable—once you know the basics you can riff on it endlessly with different cheeses, broths, vegetables, or proteins.
I started by toasting the arborio rice in olive oil with garlic until the grains turned translucent. The smell of sautéed garlic filled the kitchen and made the whole house smell amazing.
When the rice had reached that slightly translucent stage, I finished the dish by stirring in plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. A few tablespoons for my husband and a generous cupful for me—I like my risotto rich and cheesy.
The texture came out just right—creamy but not soupy. For fun I molded some into a ramekin to make it look a little more presentable.
That said, presentation isn’t really the point at our house. My husband tends to be so hungry and impatient that his plate ends up a big mixed pile; he mixes everything together and eats greedily. Not the most aesthetic approach, but it gets the job done and keeps him from becoming a hungry, angry husband—mission accomplished.
Parmesan Risotto
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
~ 20 oz chicken stock (vegetable, beef, or seafood stock can be used instead)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the minced garlic until fragrant but not browned. Add the arborio rice and stir constantly until the edges of the grains turn translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the white wine and let it absorb. Then add warm stock in 1/2 cup increments, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer each time and stirring frequently until the liquid is mostly absorbed before adding more. Continue this process until the rice is tender and the risotto reaches a creamy consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted and fully incorporated. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Risotto is forgiving and versatile—once you’ve mastered this basic method you can add roasted vegetables, sautéed mushrooms, shrimp, or herbs to make it your own. Enjoy, and have a great Thursday. 🙂