i’ve admitted more than once that i basically detest cooking for myself. it drives me bonkers. and i waste food. tonight i threw caution to the wind and got after it anyway. i mean, why not. what else was i doing? oh right. i was sitting on the couch knitting and catching up on the big bang theory {i seriously want to be bests with sheldon!}.
i’ve been wanting to bust out risotto since i learned how like, two years ago when i visited charleston, from someone who just happens to be a bad ass chef. tonight was the night. we’ll blame it on my incredible never-ending obsession with all things italian. and i just so happened to have a yummy bottle of moscato chilled in the fridge calling my name. hate it when that happens. don’t you?
warning: if you’re going to attempt a risotto, be prepared for your arm to go numb from stirring. stirring risotto makes stirring mashed potatoes seem lame. an hour later, my right arm’s still tingly. no joke. you’ll be stirring for at least 30 minutes. probably more. constantly. yes, constant stirring is necessary. if you wimp out, you ruin it. so suck it up.
i didn’t follow a recipe entirely {which, if you know me, is terrifying. ask my mom about the repeated brownie incident}. the mushrooms i had weren’t looking like anything i cared to consume, and my garlic was prehistoric, so i improvised. and it worked. possibly for the first time in my history of improvising in the kitchen. this risotto was delish.
here’s how you make the magic happen:
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium to large red bell pepper, chopped
3 T evoo
32-oz box of chicken broth
1.5 c arborio rice
10 t parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper
parsley
shredded romano cheese
in a large sauce pan, saute your onions and bell pepper in olive oil until they’re tender. add your rice and stir until it’s covered in the oily goodness. add about 12 oz of the broth {i just went with what felt like a third o’ the box}, then work up to a constant, slow boil {now the fun really gets going}.
as the broth is absorbed, add what’s left of the broth, one cup at a time, until it’s all in the pan. stir in the parm and add black pepper {to your liking}. the rice is done when it’s al dente…aka, still chewy, but tender. you’ll wind up stirring for a solid 30-40 minutes, and you quite literally cannot stop, or it will burn. i used a wooden spatula to stir and it was perfect. spoons are stupid when you’re making something this persnickety because they don’t touch the entire surface. wooden spatula + non-stick pan = problem-o solved-o. the recipe makes about 6 side-dish sized servings; add some flair and sprinkle the shredded romano and parsley on top. then, devour. and drink wine.
this, my friends, is what it looks like if you do it right!
if you try it, let me know what you think! there are so many yummy ways you can mix up risotto. it’s delish with squash, too, or just lemon and onion, and garlic, i think. might wanna look that up because you trust me on that one.
anywhoodle, lovellies, i have more wine to drink, and risotto to get in the fridge for lunch and dinner this week. this is one leftover i’ll definite nosh on. cheers!
