Description
Rich and creamy, with plenty of parmesan, this homemade risotto reminds me of the risotto we’ve eaten in Italy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups dry risotto rice
- ½ cup alcohol-free white wine alternative
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Step: Place large saucepan on stovetop over high heat. Add 5 cups chicken stock to saucepan and bring liquid to rolling boil. Once stock begins to boil, immediately reduce heat under saucepan to low.
- Step: Transfer 1 ladle (approximately ½ to ¾ cup) of chicken stock to small bowl. Add 1 pinch saffron threads to reserved stock and set bowl aside.
- Step: Place second saucepan on stovetop over high heat. When saucepan is warm, add 4 tablespoons butter and allow butter to melt completely, tilting and swirling saucepan as needed to distribute butter.
- Step: Once butter has melted and begins to foam, add 1 cup finely chopped white onion and stir to incorporate onion into melted butter. Sauté onion 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Step: When onions begin to soften, add 2 cloves garlic and stir to incorporated. Continue sautéing until onions and garlic have softened, approximately 1 minute.
- Step: Add 1 ½ cups dry risotto rice to saucepan with onions. Cook rice 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice appears golden and translucent.
- Step: When rice is ready, pour in ½ cup alcohol-free white wine alternative and stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape up any bits of onion, garlic, or rice that may have stuck to bottom of saucepan.
- Step: After deglazing saucepan, reduce heat under saucepan to low and allow mixture to simmer until liquid in saucepan is mostly reduced.
- Step: Once liquid has reduced, add 1 ladle of warm stock from saucepan, entire bowl of saffron-infused stock, 1 teaspoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to rice mixture. Gently stir ingredients together until liquid has been fully absorbed into rice.
- Step: Continue adding warm stock in small increments, stirring after each addition until rice has completely absorbed liquid before adding more. Stir mixture constantly until all stock has been added to rice and fully absorbed.
- Step: Remove saucepan from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and gently stir mixture until butter has melted completely.
- Step: Taste risotto and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Divide risotto evenly between serving plates (or bowls), top with remaining ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, and serve hot.
Notes
Do not rinse the rice before cooking, as the starch is necessary for creaminess. Keep the chicken broth warm throughout the process to avoid interrupting the cooking. Saffron is optional but highly recommended for flavor and a golden color.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 373 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 733 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 36 mg
Keywords: risotto, Italian, creamy rice, saffron risotto, parmesan rice