How To Make Basic Risotto
Learn How to Make Basic Risotto at home by following a few easy steps. Risotto is a classic Italian rice dish that's creamy, hearty and delicious!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 486kcal
Ingredients
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized deep sided pot. Add the onion, bay leaf and garlic. Give a good stir. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and all the rice. Stir well to coat the rice in the oil and cook until the rice becomes a little opaque around the edges, around 2 minutes.
- Pour in all the cooking wine and stir. Cook until the wine completely evaporates, about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add one cup/240 ml of vegetable broth and stir well. Occasionally stir until it evaporates, about 3 minutes
- Add another 1/2 cup of broth, stir well and leave to cook stirring regularly until the broth has evaporated, about another 3 minutes or so. Add another 1/2 cup and repeat. Repeat until the rice is fully cooked and you have a creamy consistency. If your rice isn't fully cooked, add a little boiling water. This process will take about 15 minutes.
- Add the salt, oregano and parmesan cheese. Stir in as much of the remaining 1/2 cup broth as you need to reach the perfect creamy texture. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve immediately.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Notes
- Always use good quality broth – As a lot of broth is used, make sure the one you are using is worthy of your dish. You can usually buy quality stock in cartons. Try this and you will note a difference.
- Prep everything before you start – Make sure all ingredients are chopped, grated, heated and ready to go. With risotto, timing is everything and you don’t want to be at a stage to add an ingredient and you haven’t already chopped or peeled it. So, have everything ready before you start.
- Use a heavy bottomed pot - Heavy bottomed cook wear produces even heat while cooking which is essential in making a good risotto.
- Keep stirring the risotto – This is key as it releases the starch from the rice and gives risotto its creamy texture. It also ensures the rice doesn’t stick and cooks evenly.
- Serve immediately – Risottos are at their absolute creaminess as soon as you take them off the stove top. It isn’t a good idea to cook this and wait a while to serve it. Otherwise, the rice will dry out and go quite stodgy. So keep this in mind, if you haven’t made risotto before and think that maybe it is like some other rice dishes.
Nutrition Facts
How To Make Basic Risotto
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 486
Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 1635mg71%
Potassium 144mg4%
Carbohydrates 66g22%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 698IU14%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 309mg31%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.