Parmesan Risotto is an easy to yet impressive dinner that features arborio rice cooked with white wine, garlic, and of course lots of parmesan cheese! If you’ve ever wanted to make risotto, this is a wonderful recipe to get started with. So stunning yet so simple!
If you also love the flavor of parmesan, you’ll love how it’s highlighted in more recipes like Mushroom Risotto and Lobster Risotto.
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So many people order risotto in restaurants and love it but are too scared to make it at home. I’m here to reassure you that there’s nothing to worry about and give you my best tips of how to make risotto at home and love it as much as any restaurant!
It’s true that risotto isn’t like other rice dishes where you add rice and leave it alone. It needs liquids added slowly and it needs an occasional stirring. Even though it needs your attention, it doesn’t require undivided attention.
Basic risotto has three main ingredients – rice, broth, and wine. The beauty of it comes from the cooking technique, which brings out the creaminess in rice. That smooth, creamy texture comes from frequent stirring of rice and adding the liquid gradually. You may be tempted to take shortcuts, but don’t!
When adding liquid a little bit at a time and stirring the rice often, it releases the starches in rice. That is what gives risotto it’s beautiful consistency. Without these key steps, the texture will not come out right.
Ingredient Notes
Arborio Rice – This is the best rice to use in risotto. It’s a short grain white rice that has more starch than long grain rice, and when that starch releases, it creates the signature creamy risotto consistency we’re looking for.
Broth – You can use Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock, either will work just fine.
White Wine – The key to success is to always cook with a wine that you actually enjoy drinking, that way you know you’ll like the flavor of the dish. Not a wine fan? No worries – check for substitutions below, in FAQs.
Parmesan Cheese – For the best consistency and flavor, use parmesan cheese that’s been freshly grated right off the block.
Shallots – Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor and a hint of sharpness. If you need to substitute, use Vidalia onion. It’s also a milder onion with a hint of sweetness.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
How to Make Parmesan Risotto
Warm the broth. Combine broth, salt, and pepper in a sauce pot and heat it until simmering. Turn the heat down to low so it stays warm.
Add the first few ingredients to a pan. Heat up a large cooking pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute onions until it starts to brown and add garlic. (1) Saute just until garlic is fragrant, add rice and stir well. (2)
Add wine. Pour in the cup of white wine and stir it to spread everything evenly. Let rice simmer and absorb the wine. Stir a little as rice simmers. (3)
Add broth. Once wine is absorbed, stir and pour in about a cup of hot broth. Stir and let rice simmer and absorb the liquid. Continue to add about a cup of hot broth and letting the rice absorb the liquid. (4)
Make it cheesy. When the rice is almost done, add the shaved parmesan cheese. (6) Stir and let it melt into the risotto.
Cook risotto until rice is al dente. You want to taste rice often and let it cook until it has a little resistance in the middle when you bite it.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, even though the flavor will change slightly. You can simple use extra stock, chicken or vegetable, instead of wine. You can also add a little (3-4 tablespoons) grape juice, just choose the juice brand that is not very sweet. To get a slight tang, mix in about a tablespoon of white wine vinegar into the stock.
Parmesan risotto makes a great vegetarian main dish or you can serve it as a side dish. It goes great with any meats like steaks, chicken, and seafood. Some of my favorite entrees to pair with risotto include Pan Seared Steak, Seared Scallops, Crispy Skin Salmon, Surf and Turf and Spatchcock Chicken.
Risotto is a type of dish that is best served fresh, right after cooking. Rice soaks up the liquid as it sits, so that’s why it needs to be reheated with additional liquid. While you can make it ahead of time, I recommend that you save or make a little extra stock mixture and store it separately.
When reheating risotto, do it in the pan with the additional stock mixture.
As far as freezing, risotto does not freeze well so I don’t recommend freezing it.
How to Reheat Risotto
Make sure to store your leftover risotto in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should be good for 3-4 days.
This Parmesan Risotto is very easy to reheat in a pan or in a microwave. You may need to add a little broth when reheating.
Make sure to use a microwave lid to cover the plate if using a microwave for reheating. If using a pan, reheat it over medium-low heat, covered with a lid, and just until the rice is hot.
Tips for Making the Best Risotto
- Choose the right ingredients. Use arborio rice only for making risotto and choose a good wine. Don’t just pick the cheapest wine just because it will be used for cooking. Wine is an important ingredient in risotto and will affect the taste. So choose a wine that you like to drink.
- Hot broth. Make sure to heat up broth first and season it with salt and pepper. Adding cold broth to the cooking rice will lower the temperature of the dish and mess with the cooking process. You want to add hot broth to the hot rice as it cooks.
- Add liquid gradually. Do take your time with parmesan risotto and add a little broth at a time. Adding broth gradually and letting rice absorb some liquid at a time will help it release the starches and give you the best texture.
- Stir often. Stir the rice often but not constant. Constantly stirring will lower the temperature of the dish so you don’t want to stir the entire time. Stir right before and after adding wine and stock, and a couple of times in between.
- Use medium or slightly below heat. Rice should be simmering while it’s cooking, not boiling or cooking too slow. Each stove is slightly different as far as heat settings so use the best setting for a gentle simmer, which could be medium or slightly below medium.
- Add cheese at the end. Add cheese when rice is just a couple of minutes away from being done. Cheese just needs enough time to melt into the mixture.
- Cook rice al dente. Cook parmesan risotto until rice is al dente, not mushy. You want to taste often to know when rice is ready and you want to cook it until it has a little resistance in the middle when you bite it. If you cook it until competently soft, it will be mushy by the time you eat it.
- Add vegetables at the end. If adding vegetables, cook them separately, and mix with rice at the end.
More Delicious Rice Recipes To Try
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Parmesan Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 shallots sliced thinly
- 3 garlic cloves smashed and minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 32 oz chicken or vegetable broth
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh minced parsley
Instructions
- Combine broth, salt, and pepper in a sauce pot and heat it until simmering. Turn the heat down to low so it stays warm.
- Heat up a large cooking pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute onions until it starts to brown and add garlic. Saute just until garlic is fragrant, add rice and stir well.
- Pour in the cup of white wine and stir it to spread everything evenly. Let rice simmer and absorb the wine. Stir a little as rice simmers.
- Once wine is absorbed, stir and pour in about a cup of hot broth. Stir and let rice simmer and absorb the liquid.
- Continue to add about a cup of hot broth at a time and letting the rice absorb the liquid before each addition. Remember to stir often but not constantly.
- When rice is almost done, add shaved Parmesan cheese, stir, and let it melt into the risotto.
- Cook risotto until rice is al dente. You want to taste rice often and let it cook until it has a little resistance in the middle when you bite it.
- Stir in parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- Substituting wine: note that the flavor will change slightly. You can simply use extra stock, chicken or vegetable, instead of wine. You can also add a little (3-4 tablespoons) grape juice, just choose the juice brand that is not very sweet. To get a slight tang, mix in about a tablespoon of white wine vinegar into the stock.
- Parmesan cheese: For the best consistency and flavor, use parmesan cheese that’s been freshly grated right off the block.
- Do take your time with parmesan risotto and add a little broth at a time. Adding broth gradually and letting rice absorb some liquid at a time will help it release the starches and give you the best texture.
Maggie says
Could you use riced cauliflower in this recipe?
LyubaB says
You can use cauliflower rice but it won’t be as creamy as risotto and you will have to cook it differently. I would first saute the cauliflower until a little bit browned then take it out and set it aside. Then add garlic and onions to the pan with about 2-3 wine tablespoons of wine and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broth let the wine and broth simmer a few minutes then add in cheese and let melt a little, stir back in the cauliflower rice for a minute or 2 and then serve.
Lois says
I don’t know much about wine what is a good brand to use
Jeanine Coffman says
Made the Parmesan Risotto…. it was amazing. As good as my little Italian Grandma use to make
LyubaB says
That is such a sweet compliment, thank you!
Kerima De La Ossa says
Hi, I couldn’t find chicken broth, can I use chicken stock instead. If so, anything you recommend adding? Thank you!!
LyubaB says
Hi, yes you can use stock instead but make sure to taste it before you salt it, sometimes stock is a little more salty.
Jamie says
It is important to use the right ingredients, do not rush the cooking process. This recipe requires time so if you don’t have the time save it for when you do. Don’t over stir it. Follow her directions and suggestions! Mine came out restaurant quality! Thanks for sharing.
LyubaB says
Hi Jamie,
Great suggestions! I am so glad you liked the recipe, thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Anne says
Can I double this recipe easily? I’m making for 6 people.
LyubaB says
Hi Anne,
I am so sorry I am just now responding, I happened to see your comment when responding to someone else but we have been having some email problems with comments and didn’t receive yours. You can definitely double this recipe just make sure you have a big enough pan (not a pot) for all the ingredients.
Kathy says
So good. Made this during the COVID 19 stay at home order. Had to change a bit to work with ingredients I had on hand. But, it was amazing! Easy to follow the instructions. The heat the liquid step made the recipe so much faster. I would have eaten the whole pan, but I had to share with my family. I went for seconds and they were gone! You have to try this.
LyubaB says
Thank you for the sweet compliment, I am glad you were able to change it up and still make it work! Hope you will try some more of my recipes while your home. Stay safe!
Heather says
I just made this minus the wine & it was excellent! Hands down the best risotto I’ve ever had. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
LyubaB says
Heather, thanks for letting me know you liked the recipe! 🙂
Priscilla says
What would you recommend for a white wine substitute?
LyubaB says
Hi, Priscilla! You can use more vegetable stock to substitute the wine.
Sally says
This was amazing cooked just as written
LyubaB says
Thank you, Sally!