Monday, March 24, 2014

Impressively Simple: Risotto

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I've made a traditional risotto a few times, and while it is delicious it does take a tedious amount of stirring and babysitting.  I don't generally make it often because of that fact, then I stumbled upon this technique I saw printed in Real Simple magazine.  It seemed impossible so of course I had to give it a try!

The concept of "low maintenance" and "risotto" don't generally go hand-in-hand, but I'm happy to say that in this instance they do.  This risotto recipe turned out so well that I'm making it my go-to version whenever we're craving that creamy rice dish in my house.  

This time I added sauteed mushrooms to the dish, but roasted butternut squash is another tasty option.  With spring (hopefully) upon us soon, lightly roasted asparagus or steamed fresh peas would be delicious additions as well.

This recipe truly is a "magic risotto" (for all of you Gilmore Girls fans out there).

Low-Maintenance Risotto

Ingredients
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt & pepper
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
16 oz sauteed mushrooms (optional - or swap in your favorite veggie)

Instructions
Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large dutch-oven style pot over medium heat.  Add in the onion and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5-7 minutes).

Add in the rice and stir well, for about 2 minutes, then add in the wine and simmer until the wine is absorbed. Add half the broth and simmer, only stirring once, cooking until it is absorbed (about 10 minutes).  Add in the remaining broth and stir occasionally as it simmers (just to keep it from sticking) for another 8-10 minutes until it is tender and creamy.  If the rice seems dry or isn't cooked through, just add a little more broth and continue to simmer until it reaches the texture you want.

Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and remaining tbsp. of butter.  Serve hot, topped with mushrooms or your favorite sauteed or roasted seasonal veggie.

Printable Recipe

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