Parmesan Risotto

Nothing screams comfort food like Parmesan Risotto, a creamy, luscious rice dish with sweet onions, fragrant garlic, and sharp, nutty, freshly grated Parmesan.

Creamy risotto is one of my favorite Italian side dishes. The key to a great risotto is patience—a little bit of broth at a time and a lot of stirring to create the creamiest texture. If you like this recipe, try mushroom risotto and asparagus risotto.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

• Butter: Unsalted or salted butter.
• Oil: Extra virgin olive oil
• Arborio rice: This rice is key to a creamy risotto. It has a high starch content, creating a luscious, creamy texture. It is great for absorbing large amounts of liquid while still keeping its structure.
• White wine: Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, or Sauvignon Blanc. Make sure the quality of the wine is good enough that you can enjoy a glass.
• Stock: Chicken or vegetable stock. You can substitute chicken or vegetable broth.
• Parmesan: Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and texture.

How To Make Parmesan Risotto

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt some butter and heat a little olive oil. Add the onion and cook until it’s almost soft, stirring a couple of times. 
2. Add the Arborio rice and cook just until it starts to brown lightly, stirring constantly.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for a minute while stirring.
4. Raise the heat to medium and add the wine. Cook until evaporated and absorbed into the rice, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the warmed stock about a half cup at a time. Continue cooking and stirring until the stock absorbs between each additional half cup.
6. Add the Parmesan cheese, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Preparation Tips For Success

• Always warm stock or broth before adding. It should be warm but not boiling. I warm it in a Pyrex glass measuring cup in the microwave.
• The key to a rich, creamy risotto is using a high-starch rice such as Arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano, and adding warm stock in small increments while simmering and stirring very frequently. Add ⅓ to ½ cup of stock or broth at a time, stirring it in. Let it simmer and absorb, stirring frequently, before adding any more stock or broth. Stirring every 1-2 minutes will help ensure a smooth risotto.
• Do not cook the last addition of broth all the way. Leave it a little extra creamy as you add the Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and parsley.
• I do not recommend freezing risotto.

Perfect Pairings

• Pork: stuffed pork tenderloin, crockpot pork chops, or baked pork tenderloin.
• Chicken: chicken saltimbocca, garlic butter chicken, or creamy Tuscan chicken
• Beef: London broil, New York strip steaks, or flank steak.

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