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Forget the mac-and-cheese. Here are 5 risotto recipes you’ll want for dinner

RISOTTO: Sunny-side up.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Risotto contains all those traits we love about comfort food: It’s rich and creamy, warm and soothing, simple and delicious. Typically made with arborio rice, a starchy short-grain rice, this one-pot meal cooks slowly, stock or broth added a little at a time as the rice softens and expands to velvety tenderness in a rich and creamy sauce. It’s a labor-intensive dish — yes, you do have to stand over the stove and stir — but the results are well worth it. Best of all, you can flavor the risotto however you like.

LEMON RISOTTO

Recipe: Lemon risotto
(Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)
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In the final steps, whisk in a little lemon juice and lemon zest with an egg yolk — the lemon really brightens the flavors while the yolk adds an extra layer of richness. Finish, of course, with Parmesan cheese. Because everything is better with cheese.

WINTER SQUASH RISOTTO

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Creamy risotto is cooked with tender cubes of butternut squash, the colorful dish garnished with toasted walnuts and fried sage leaves. A perfect choice whether you’re fixing a quick meal for the family or planning dinner for company.

CELESTINO’S WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

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Wild mushrooms give this dish a wonderfully rich, earthy flavor.

RISOTTO WITH SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO

Add fresh sugar snap peas toward the end when making this risotto for fresh, bright flavor and added texture — the peas add a nice crunch to counter the softened rice.

BACON-AND-EGG RISOTTO

RISOTTO: Sunny-side up.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

This velvety risotto incorporates the deep flavor of applewood-smoked bacon with arborio rice cooked to perfectly creamy consistency. Fresh chopped chives and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano lend bright color and subtle tang, and a fresh egg yolk is nestled into each hot portion right before serving for added richness.

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