The Risotto Blogroll: 20 of the Internet's Best, Easiest and Most Delicious Risotto Recipes

This is a collection of the most interesting and very best risotto recipes I've been able to find on the internet. You'll be able to find a favorite risotto recipe here for every taste, palate and budget.

What is risotto? It's a rich, delicious, and surprisingly easy-to-make rice dish, usually made with a starch-heavy rice variety like Arborio rice. A typical risotto recipe includes parmesan cheese, wine and a basic broth, which you ladle onto the rice gradually, rather than all at once.

Of course, not all risottos have to be typical: you'll see exactly what I mean as you scroll through the wide range of unusual risotto variations below. And the best thing about risotto is how it impresses your guests: it seems fancy and difficult to prepare, but in reality it's really easy. Trust me: add two or three different risotto recipes to your repertoire and your cooking will never look back.

Finally, building this collection of risotto recipes has truly been a labor of love for me--I've literally been working on this post for almost three years. Enjoy!

Finally, check out Casual Kitchen's other popular recipe blogrolls!
The Granola Blogroll
50 Delicious Recipes Containing Apples
The Muffin Blogroll, and
The Hummus Blogroll

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1) Indian Spiced Risotto from Veni Vidi Coxi
Let's start off with an unusual and highly original fusion of risotto with delicious Indian flavors.

2) Bargain Basement Lobster Risotto at REC(ession)IPES
I never would imagine the words "bargain basement," "lobster" and "risotto" appearing together in a recipe, but they belong together in this delicious, luxurious, and surprisingly affordable recipe.

3) Butternut Squash Risotto from Cheap Healthy Good
Kris calls this recipe "transcendence in a bowl"...and that's exactly what it is. Less than 400 calories per serving.

4) Fresh Fava Bean Risotto with Pancetta at A Mingling of Tastes
An all-star ingredient combination of pancetta, fava beans, mushrooms and lemon zest.

5) Green Risotto Primavera at Bitter Sweet Blog
A delicious vegan (vegan!) risotto that's absolutely full of seasonal fresh ingredients.

6) Risotto alla Margherita at Creampuffs in Venice
Yvonne takes the traditional elements of Pizza Margherita--tomato, mozzarella and basil--and creates a delicious non-traditional risotto.

7) Apple Risotto from Best Apples
An intriguing mix of savory and sweet flavors. This recipe calls for golden delicious apples, but feel free to substitute any type of apple.

8) Leek, Mushroom, and Pea Shoot Risotto from The Essential Rhubarb Pie
An easy and flexible risotto recipe. Don't forget to use "copious" amounts of parmesan cheese.

9) Asparagus and Herb Risotto from the Guardian UK
A classic, timeless risotto variation, rendered perfectly in this budget-friendly recipe.

10) Zucchini Risotto at Andrea Meyers' Blog
You can always count on Andrea for reliable recipes, and this unusual risotto creation will help you use up all those extra garden zucchinis this summer!

11) Green Bean Risotto at Coconut and Lime
A delicious, basic risotto with a splash of greenery.

12) Pistachio and Gorgonzola Risotto at Closet Cooking
An striking and creative mix of ingredients and flavors.

13) Chicken Marsala Risotto at Alosha's Kitchen
No, Melissa, this highly original recipe isn't sacrilege: it's delicious.

14) Tomato Risotto with Cumin and Fennel at Beyond the Peel
Risotto with an added twist of toasted cumin and fennel seeds. Bonus: free tips on having a great date night in the kitchen.

15) Pressure Cooker Risotto with Goat Cheese at Dad Cooks Dinner
Pressed for time? This recipe teaches you how to make an excellent risotto in your pressure cooker in just six to eight minutes.

16) Risotto Tricolore at Creampuffs in Venice
This visually striking three-color risotto is easier to cook than you think. Truly brilliant.

17) Roasted Garlic, Fontina and Chicken Risotto at Oui, Chef
Roasted garlic adds an amazing nuance to this intriguing risotto variation.

18) Artichoke Freekeh Risotto at David Liebovitz's blog
"Freekeh" is fire-roasted green (unripe) wheat, so this is technically not a risotto recipe. But so what? Get your "freek" on with this interesting risotto-style variation.

19) Triple the Greens Risotto at the Independent
From the author of the Get In My Gob blog, this risotto--which includes peas, rocket leaves and spinach stock--will put extra greens into your belly.

20) Hoppin' John Risotto at The Kitchn
A delicious, unusual fusion of southern USA and Italian cuisines. Don't forget the all-important dollop of Collard Pesto!

Readers! Do you have a favorite risotto recipe, either on your own blog or elsewhere? Share it here in the comments with all the other readers here at CK!


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How to Make Risotto

Here’s a risotto recipe that will even satisfy real live Italians with its authenticity. The sun-dried tomatoes add an amazing flavor that permeates the entire dish.
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Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
5 cups of vegetable, meat or seafood stock
One medium onion, chopped
4-5 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup rice (see note 1, below)
3/4 cup white wine (please do not use "cooking wine")
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped coarsely (see note 2)
Parmesan cheese, grated (see note 3)
Frozen peas (optional-see note 4)

Directions:
1) Bring stock to a boil, then remove from heat.
2) In a separate non-stick pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about 3-4 minutes until translucent (do not brown the onion).
3) Add the rice and stir until all of the rice is coated with oil. Heat the rice for 3 minutes or so, continuing to stir until the rice starts to become an opaque white color.
4) Add the white wine and stir constantly until it is absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.
5) Then gradually add the stock into the rice, starting with one to two ladles-full, then adding another ladle of stock every couple of minutes. Stir regularly. NOTE: Do not add all the stock at once!! Instead, gradually add the stock, one ladle-full at a time. If you dump it all in at once the rice will turn out soggy.
6) When the rice absorbs the liquid, add another ladle of stock. The whole rice-cooking process will take anywhere from 18 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the rice grains you are using.
7) At the 15 to 17 minute mark, you can add the sun-dried tomatoes. At about the 20 minute mark, start taste testing the rice for done-ness. It should be chewy and firm to the bite (al dente for you foodies out there), but definitely not crunchy. When you think the rice is done, add in the grated parmesan along with a final half ladle-full of stock and stir until the cheese is melted and well mixed into the rice. Serve immediately.

Easily serves four as a main dish, serves 6-7 as a side dish.
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A few final recipe notes:
1) Regarding the rice: If you really want to go authentic, be sure to use Arborio rice. Arborio rice is an extra thick, short-grain rice that has more starch content than regular rice. It gives the risotto a thicker, almost creamy texture. But I’ve found that regular rice works quite well too, and of course it's cheaper and easier to find in the grocery store.

2) Regarding the sun-dried tomatoes: If you are using dried sun-dried tomatoes, add them to the risotto with the first ladle-full of stock. If you are using sun-dried tomatoes in oil, add them just about five minutes before the rice is done. The softer, oil-based sun-dried tomatoes will disintegrate if you add them at the beginning, and the DRIED sun-dried tomatoes will be too tough if you add them at the end. This is an important distinction.

3) I’m not sure what it is about grating your own Parmesan cheese—maybe it’s the cooking with love, maybe it’s a little extra elbow grease that adds to the flavor, who knows? I encourage you to take the extra time and buy a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it by hand. It's just better than the pre-grated stuff.

4) You can use other ingredients in addition to (or in place of) the peas. Some suggestions: mushrooms, pieces of ham or pancetta, seafood (such as shrimp, scallops, etc), garlic, or any of a number of different kinds of veggies (best to use mild-tasting and firm vegetables like snap peas, green beans, etc). Most of these ingredients should be added when you're about halfway through cooking the rice, say at the 12 minute mark. If you want some extra help on ways to experiment here, take a look at my series on How to Modify a Recipe.

Enjoy!

Related Posts:
Mock Wild Rice: An Insanely Easy To Make Side Dish
What's the Most Heavily Used Tool in Our Kitchen? Our Rice Cooker.
How to Make Fried Rice
How to Make a Mole Sauce: Intense, Exotic and Surprisingly Easy to Make

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