Real Simple Creamy Parmesan Risotto

This weekend I got a little bashing by some of the culinary community I shared my Crack Cake recipe with. One went so far as to proclaim that it was not a recipe at all given that all the components were preprocessed. While find this pompous attitude amusing (knowing that if they tried it, they would ask for seconds) I did feel the need to explore a more refined dish.

 

I have seen many cooking shows make risotto though I had never tried it let alone made it. I happened to purchase Arborio rice a week or two ago and set out to search the internet for a recipe. After comparing several I selected this one from Real Simple because:

• I had all the ingredients on hand
• I thought it had a chance of acceptance by my selective eaters
• It seemed, well, real simple

The results: Pete and I liked it, Alex and Anna, not so much. I wish I could say if it was a great risotto, but since it is the only one I've tried, I'm not the most qualified judge. Maybe I should ask the culinary panel from this weekend.

If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think. Oh and there is also nutritional information for this recipe here.

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 40m | Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.
2. In a separate medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until it is well coated with the butter and starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Ladle 1/2 cup of the warm broth into the rice mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is absorbed. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until the rice is cooked through but still firm, 20 to 25 minutes total.
4. Add the remaining butter and the salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with more salt to taste. Serve immediately, topping with additional Parmesan.