04.06.10
Risotto is really fun to make.
Take an onion, arborio rice, stock, white wine, and some parmigiano,
and a basic risotto is born.
The fun part is choosing what additions to make. This risotto, based off this recipe, has mascarpone cheese, asparagus, peas, and lemon zest.
It was a great addition to our spring Easter menu.
I wish we had leftovers.
That looks FANTASTIC! Much better than the green bean casserole we had for Easter…:)
I love risotto! I have always made it with white wine, but a few weeks ago I used red and make some filet to go along with it. I love the different flavor the wine gives it.
So good, so creamy! I love switching up the add ins too- nuts, cheeses, vegetables! So many possibilities
That looks really good!
Wow, that looks really really good. I never have luck with anything other than plain risotto.. any tips? Also love the painting from your dad’s gallery it is very realistic! Gorgeous.
@foodandfarm, Thank you for your comment. Well, with a risotto like the one above, I made the basic risotto (cook onions in a dab of butter, add the arborio rice to toast, add the white wine, when it reduces add a bit of stock at time until the right consistency is achieved) and then at the very end I added the vegetables, mascarpone cheese, parmigiano, and lemon zest. You don’t want to add the veggies or cheese until the very end. A bit of real cream adds a lot of creaminess, but if you made the risotto slowly it should be creamy without needing that. I blanched the veggies and then let them wait in the bowl of ice water until the last minute or so. Does that make sense or help at all? I hope so!
What exactly happens when you try to make a non-plain risotto?
I was just looking at my newest Cooks Illustrated and they have a risotto recipe I’m going to try tonight. I’ve never made it before and I”m so excited, yours looks so tasty!
Question: If I do something similar to mine with peas, asparagus and chicken is it a fairly balanced meal? I need to look up the nutritional content of risotto.
@Stacy R, Hi! I am not a dietician but I would say that would be quite balanced. Risotto is a bit starchy since it is made with arborio rice, but there is no other way to do it! When I am looking to make my risotto healthier I add only a bit of parmigiano and really bulk up the veggies (doubling whatever a recipe calls for). Let me know how it goes!
i love risotto…it’s so fun to make, and it’s easy to transform it with just about any flavor! i must say though, it’s ALWAYS better with wine! 🙂
Oo I never thought about adding mascarpone cheese to risotto- I bet that would make it even more creamy and delicious..Yum!!
Sabrina- your tips are extremely helpful! I’m so scared of making risotto, but I’ll give it a try. Is arborio ride the best kind to use?
@One Healthy Apple, Thank you! Yes, definitely use arborio rice!
I’ve only had risotto once! It was actually last month and I fell in love with it. 🙂
Love risotto, that looks so good!
That risotto is serious restaraunt quality! It looks AMAZING and completely delish.
Yummm. I could go for some of that right now! Perhaps I will make some for my picnic tonight (the hubby-elect and I have a date, woopwoop!).
PS. So pumped for the 20th 🙂