Fact: it is not difficult to make risotto. It’s not even difficult to make good risotto. While it doesn’t require a significant amount of kitchen skill, risotto does call for patience. When making risotto you have to stand over it, stirring for at least 20 minutes. To make a good risotto, use Arborio rice. Arborio grains are short, stubby and high in protein, which lends to a creamy consistency.
If you’re anything like me and you multitask while you cook, leaving a pot of something simmering while you clean a dish or pausing in between stirs to check your email, then you’ll have to make a few sacrifices for risotto.
As important as it is to give the stovetop your undivided attention, pay heed to the equipment you use. Cook your risotto in a wide, heavy saucepan or skillet and stir with a wooden spoon.
I have been itching to make risotto for the longest time and finally, as a twist of fate would have it, I had all of the ingredients in my house one idle afternoon. So you see, its not something you have to plan ahead to make. It takes less than half an hour, but those 30 minutes are all hands on.
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup grated parmigiano cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Bring stock to a simmer in a stockpot or saucepan over medium-low heat. If you turn the heat up too high, you'll risk boiling away the stock.
- In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the onions and cook 5-10 minutes, or until they begin to look translucent. Add the rice and cook about one minute, stirring to combine with onion mixture.
- Add the white wine and stir until absorbed, which should take up to five minutes (or less). When absorbed, add ½ cup stock, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ cup of stock and stir until until the liquid is absorbed.
- Repeat this process until the mixture is creamy rice is chewy, which should take about 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sundried tomatoes, cream and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
13 Comments
KalynsKitchen
April 28, 2014 at 10:00 amLooks so good! This is definitely a splurge for my diet, but if you come to Utah and make it for me I wouldn’t turn it down. (The new site looks great.)
Maris Callahan
April 28, 2014 at 8:21 pmThanks Kalyn!! And…sounds like a deal 🙂
Angie's Recipes
January 21, 2011 at 9:34 amI adore the risotto. Yours with sundried tomato sounds and looks just perfectly delicious.
kat
January 17, 2011 at 12:11 pmI just did a tomato risotto too & was surprised how much I liked tomato in it. I find after years of making risotto you really don’t have to stir constantly though I wouldn’t walk too far away either.
Tracy
January 17, 2011 at 10:00 amLove the look of this risotto! I’m always looking for new ones to try and will have to add this to my list!
Roz
January 17, 2011 at 12:28 amThis recipe looks excellent. I found brown arborio rice in an import store on the weekend….I’m sure it’ll be great in this recipe. (but it’ll take a LONG time to cook)
Thanks for the post!! Have a great week.
Joanne
January 16, 2011 at 2:32 pmRisotto is totally my go-to when I need a fancy meal but have no idea what else to make since most people think it is extremely gourmet. Love your sun-dried tomato addition to this!
alison@ingredientsinc.net
January 16, 2011 at 2:31 pmWhat a great combination of my favorite ingredients!
Erica
January 16, 2011 at 2:24 pmI was JUST convincing my Dad about how easy it is to make risotto. But patience…IS required. The creaminess of risotto is amazing. The sun dried tomatoes are an awesome add in. I hope you have lots of leftovers to enjoy
Kate
January 16, 2011 at 9:18 amSince I just posted about sundried tomatoes I actually feel like partof the “in crowd” reading this. And like you I’m a multi taker so standing and stirring risotto kills me.
daryl
January 16, 2011 at 6:34 amIdle afternoon? You? Huh!!!
veggietestkitchen
January 15, 2011 at 10:32 pmI’ve always been scared to put tomato in my risottos. I just always thought that additions to risotto should be hard and coated. ha! Using sun dried tomatoes is a great way to get around that, perhaps irrational, fear. Grea idea! Thanks for sharing.
Heidi Renée
January 16, 2011 at 1:40 amOooh, I love risotto! I’m going to make this for sure. Did you use the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, or the ones that come plain in a bag?