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Whether you’ve made risotto or not, I’m sure you have heard of it. If you have made it, you know how simple and easy it can be. Chances are if you haven’t made it, you assume it’s time-consuming. The best-kept secret of risotto is the fact that it’s super easy. Yes, it’s best when you babysit it while adding stock, but that is only a time commitment of 20-30 minutes. Really, that’s just the perfect amount of time needed to decompress from the day and make a delicious and wholesome meal.
Risotto can be a chameleon. Any flavor combination can be paired with the creamy rice to create the best meal. Ever.
At its core, risotto is basic: rice, white wine, and stock. Those three ingredients are the base that creates a super-creamy risotto. Since the recipe can be so simple, each component matters immensely.
- First, the rice must be arborio. Arborio rice is a short-grain rice that’s high in amylopectin starch which helps good risotto attain a creamy texture.
- Second, the white wine. If you cannot have wine, it can be left out, but just a small amount of white wine gives a nice acidic layer to the risotto. The acidity balances out the richer flavors.
- Last, the stock. Chicken or vegetable stock not only flavors the risotto but helps the risotto gain its creaminess when added slowly. Risotto can work when stock is added all at once, but the outcome will not be the same. Adding it all at once can unevenly cook the rice and not achieve as creamy of texture. When warm stock is added over a 20-30 minute cooking period, the rice is able to slowly absorb the stock and release its starch at the same time.
To make this a meal, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and shrimp really round out the flavors.
- The mushrooms are sautéed with onion in some bacon grease and cooked with the rice. The shiitake variety are sturdy and can hold up to the longer cooking time.
- To keep this recipe simple, the asparagus and shrimp are roasted together in the oven. A quick roast keeps the texture of both but also brings out so much flavor.
- To finish the risotto, fresh Parmesan cheese and bacon round out the flavors.
Together, this is a warm and comforting bowl. It’s a perfect transition towards spring.
Watch how to make this Parmesan risotto:
Parmesan Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon
- 2 tbsp bacon grease
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 5 oz shitake mushrooms stems removed, sliced
- 1 lb asparagus ends trimmed off and cut into 1-2" pieces
- 1 lb shrimp raw, with tail on
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
- 5-6 cups chicken stock kept warm on stove
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and slowly cook until browned on both sides. Remove the bacon, leaving 2 tbsp grease in the dutch oven.3 strips thick-cut bacon, 2 tbsp bacon grease
- Sauté the onion and salt until just starting to become translucent, 5 minutes. Add the shitake mushrooms and continue to saute until slightly soft, 3 minutes.1 cup diced onion, 1 tsp kosher salt, 5 oz shitake mushrooms
- On a large baking sheet, lay the shrimp and asparagus in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and rub to evenly coat. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and garlic, and rub to evenly spread the garlic. Place in the preheated 425°F oven and roast until the shrimp is opaque and the asparagus is crisp-tender, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with fresh lemon juice, and set aside.1 lb asparagus, 1 lb shrimp, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- When the mushrooms are slightly soft, add the rice. Stir constantly to toast the rice, 1-2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir until the Dutch oven is mostly dry. While watching the risotto and continuing to stir, add ½ to 1 cup of stock at a time. Continue to stir and add stock until the rice is fully cooked and the risotto has become creamy, 25-35 minutes. If the rice is not fully cooked, continue to add stock and cook.1 cup arborio rice, ½ cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc), 5-6 cups chicken stock
- When finished, stir in the Parmesan cheese, shrimp, and asparagus. Serve with crumbled bacon.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Loved having the video to show the process along with the recipe. The hardest part was stirring the risotto. Made the recipe box for sure!❤️
I made this and it was my first time making risotto…loved how easy it is to bake the shrimp and asparagus…made the flavors come out real clean..every ingredient had its own distinguished flavor in the final dish. Will be making this as a regular dish from now on! Thanks for making this look easy enough for me to try. I enjoy watching you cook. I remember the first video I saw was you canning pickles, and I was hooked immediately.
What a blessing you are Kaleb…
I really enjoy “everything” you do💕
I believe you may have misread the recipe; it says 5oz of parmesan. You may find it’s not so overwhelming. We all adjust recipes, and I wish you outstanding results next time.
Fellow watcherJenn