risotto is for lovers

oh risotto, how i love thee. think of risotto as the super versatile, super yummy and rich italian mac and cheese. its delicious by itself or can be dressed up with whatever you have on hand: tomato and basil, asparagus and pancetta, mushrooms and truffle oil the possibilities are actually endless. the beauty of risotto is that it goes with anything; it the new black, and its really really good.

here is what you gotta have:

3 tbs olive oil
1 cup risotto rice (note: this is expensive at whole foods. i buy mine at wally world, or fiesta)
32 oz chicken stock or veggie stock
1/4 cup white or yellow onion minced ( i prefer the sweet varieties)
4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
8-10 oz dry white wine
6-8 oz of shredded parmesean cheese

other ingredients:

1 package of cherry tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil leaves

who's ready to cook?

heat the olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan on about medium heat. add in the onion and garlic and let soften for 5-10mins stirring frequently. be sure that the garlic and onions do not brown.

next pour in the risotto and stir frequently for another 8 mins or so until the risotto becomes slightly transparent.

in a separate saucepan, on medium heat, pour in the chicken or vegetable stock.

next pour the wine into the risotto pan and continue to stir as the alcohol cooks off. ladle in a few ladles of the stock to the risotto. keep stirring. the risotto will keep slowly absorbing the stock. keep adding a stirring.

in a saute pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and heat to medium heat. add the tomatoes and basil. add a pinch of salt and pepper and saute until the tomatoes are tender. put aside.

once all the stock has been soaked up by the risotto it is ready. you are aiming for a slightly al dente but soft consistency.

add in the the parmesan cheese, tomatoes and basil and salt to taste. top off with a little parmesan, pepper, basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

enjoy.