Basil Parmesan Risotto

The ingredients for this risotto recipe are simple and mostly pantry staples. If you tend to make risotto regularly I bet you already have the arborio rice on hand. For this recipe you will need:

• olive oil
• sweet onion
• vegetable broth (or chicken broth or chicken stock)
• arborio rice
• white wine
• parmesan cheese- freshly grated parmesan cheese or the cheese pre-grated at the grocery store
• fresh basil leaves

If you use a low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth you may want to add a little salt to the final dish depending on your taste.

The first step to making your risotto is getting all of your ingredients ready. Chop the onion and basil, measure the wine, rice and cheese, and heat up the broth. I used vegetable broth however chicken would work well too! Do not use water as a substitute because it will take away a lot of the flavor.

Once your ingredients are ready, bring your 4 cups broth to a boil. In the meantime, add your olive oil to a pan. Heat the pan over medium heat. Then, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until soft. Next, add the rice and stir to coat in the oil.

Now, add your wine and cook until absorbed, stirring frequently. The more you stir your risotto the creamier (without even adding cream) it will become! Once the wine is absorbed, begin to add the broth about 1/2 cup at a time.

Between each addition stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue to add broth until all is absorbed. If you find your risotto sticking to the bottom of the pan simply reduce the heat and that should help.

Finally, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately!

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Yes, risotto is made with rice making it a gluten free grain.

Any white wine can be used to make risotto however a dryer, less sweet wine is best for flavor. Try using sauvignon blanc or chardonnay wine. That being said if you have a bottle open already of a different kind feel free to use it!

Risotto has a tendency to be considered difficult because of the hands on time. It is a recipe that needs your full attention for about 30 minutes. Once you make it a couple of times you will get the hang of it and it won’t be as intimidating.

No, the only rice that can be used to make risotto is arborio rice. You can find this rice variety in most grocery stores in the rice section.

Leftover risotto should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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If you love risotto be sure to check out our recipes for Butternut Squash Risotto with Bacon and Pumpkin Risotto! Other recipes you may like are Three Bean Turkey Chili, Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas, Chicken Pot Pie, Crock Pot Chuck Roast with Potatoes, Turkey Lasagna Soup, Healthy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Lasagna, Simple Gluten-Free Chicken Piccata and Almond Mandarin Quinoa Salad.