The Perfect Risotto

Did you know that you can make perfect, creamy risotto in under 30 minutes? And, it’s easy too!  Let me show you how…

*Disclosure: I received a gift card to purchase product in exchange for this post. Feel free to read my disclosure statement. All opinions shared are my own and not influenced by other sources.

Risotto is one of the most comforting, rich and delicious things I’ve ever eaten.  I always order it out when I see it on a menu.  But, it intimidates a lot of people.

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I want to show you just how easy it is to make perfect risotto every single time.

Risotto is made with Arborio rice – an Italian short-grain rice.  GIANT Food Stores now offer a World Menu line of internationally inspired products, including many of your Italian and Asian favorites.

I used the World Menu Arborio rice for this recipe and it came out absolutely perfect!  There are more than 50 World Menu items throughout the store – everything from spices and pastas to frozen foods.

There are so many great products in GIANT Food Store’s World Menu line — I can’t wait to try more!

On to the risotto….A while back, I had the pleasure of being in the studio audience for a taping of the Martha Stewart Show.   My mom and I spent a few days in NYC and had tickets to the show.  I was so excited I could barely contain myself.

One of her guests that day was Emeril Lagasse was one of her guests.  He made the most delicious looking pumpkin risotto that I’ve ever seen.  And, he offered lots of great tips for making perfect risotto every time.  Here’s a clip from the show.

Emeril’s biggest tip for making risotto is to only cook it for 18 minutes.  Not 19.  Not 17.  18.  This ensures that the rice is slightly al dente on the inside and super creamy on the outside.  And, when you spoon the risotto onto your plate, it should pool ever so slightly.  There should be a little bit of liquid that seeps out around the edges.  But, it should never be runny and it shouldn’t be too firm.

This is a great basic recipe.  A starting off point.  From here, the possibilities are endless!

Once you have the basic risotto, you add lots of other things such as shrimp, chicken, vodka sauce…the possibilities are endless!  My favorites are Giant’s Italian sausage and some peas.  Giant has an incredible Tomato Pesto sauce that would be awesome with this risotto.

The recipe below incorporates all of Emeril’s tips for making the perfect risotto.  Give it a try….you’ll see just how easy (and delicious) homemade risotto really is!  The real question is what are you going to add in?!

For more recipe inspiration, be sure to check out these pages on It is a Keeper:

• Easy Dessert Recipes
• 40+ Best Crock Pot Recipes
• 100+ Quick Dinner Ideas

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The Perfect Risotto

Did you know that you can make perfect, creamy risotto in under 30 minutes? And, it's easy too!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: rice, risotto

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 732kcal

Author: Christina Hitchcock

Ingredients

• 2 cups Arborrio rice
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium shallot - finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic - finely minced
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium-low heat.
• In a large pot, heat oil and 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat until melted.
• Saute shallots and garlic until tender, being careful not to brown the shallots or garlic.
• Add rice and stir for 2 minutes, making sure rice is evenly coated with butter.
• Add wine to rice, stirring regularly.
• When wine is completely absorbed by the rice, add a cup of the hot stock.
• Continue to add stock, 1 cup at a time once the previous cup is absorbed by the rice.
• Stir rice continually.  After 18 minutes, remove the rice from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and 1 Tbsp of butter, stirring until melted.
• Stir in cream until mixed well.
• Add any other cooked components at this time (proteins, vegetables, etc.)
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 10.7% | Vitamin C: 1.6% | Calcium: 10.8% | Iron: 28.2%

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