Risotto, Part 1: Basic Risotto

Risotto is one of my go-to, mid-week dishes, no matter what the season.  It's rich, luxurious, healthy, and easy to do with whatever I have on hand in my pantry.  I have been trying to share the risotto love with my friends and encourage them to try it - it's not so hard!  But many of us are used to ordering risotto at restaurants and depriving ourselves of it in our day-to-day lives.

If you're like me, though, once you start making risottos, you won't be able to stop. You can throw in pretty much anything you have on hand, and it makes for great leftovers.  I like to make a big batch Sunday or Monday, and keep a container of it in the fridge for lunch. When you're reheating the risotto, it helps to put in a little water first so it doesn't dry out in the microwave.


Now, I am not Italian, nor do I claim to be the best "technical" cook.  But what I do like about risotto is that you can cook it to how you like it.  I started making risotto with pearled barley, which is a bit chewier and not as starchy as a rice.  I would like to say I used barley because it is better for you and higher and protein, etc.  The truth is the little food market down the street for me sold barley for 99-cent per pound, compared to the $1.69 for arborio rice. Anyway, now I like my risotto a little more dense than others.  I've also had risotto made with plain white rice, but its too soft and mushy for my liking.  The moral of the story is, though, that its more about the process. Cook your risotto how you like it, and damned what anyone else says about it!

Basic Risotto


1ish tablespoon olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)
1 small onion, diced
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine (I buy the little bottles that come in 4-packs.  A typical batch uses about half of one, and the rest of it can be used for a pan sauce or cooking-time drinks)
2-3 cups stock or water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1) Soften onion and garlic in olive oil over medium with a pinch of salt, about 2 minutes.
2) Add rice and coat with oil.
3) Add white wine and stir until wine is absorbed, 3-5 minutes.
4) Add 1 1/2 cups stock (enough to cover the rice and then some) and stir together.  Maintain a gentle boil and stir every few minutes.

5) When stock has been mostly absorbed (see picture above), add another 1/2 cup of stock.  This is also a good time to check the flavors.  If its a little bland, and a pinch of salt.  If it needs a little extra kick, throw in a little more white wine or even a squeeze of lemon. You can readjust again at the end, but I like to test along the way and cook down some of the stronger flavors, like a wine or lemon juice.

6) Continue to add 1/2 of stock until rice is to your liking. Keep stirring throughout.  I timed myself last time, and the whole thing took about 45 minutes. (Note: apparently you can add half your stock in the beginning, as described above, and half at the end, so long as you're stirring along the way.  I've never tried it, and I like having the control over how much liquid is in the pan.  But it's worth a shot, I guess!)

7)  When rice is cooked to your liking, and the water is mostly absorbed with a little starchy goodness left over (see picture above), stir in the cheese.  Taste once more for flavor, and serve hot.

See, easy??

Yummy add-ins

-Roasted tomatoes

-Shrimp

-Edamame 

-Mushrooms (add sliced mushrooms with the rice before adding the wine and stock, and cook it all together)

-Lemon zest (adds a welcome freshness to the richness of the dish.  Also a good pair with mushrooms)

-Spinach

-Roasted veggies

-Winter squash

-Roasted sweet potatoes

-Shredded meat

-Be creative!  I had an amazing risotto with braised rabbit and diced pineapple once.  Incredible - who woulda thought?  Have fun with it!