Parmesan risotto is a classic Italian dish made with Arborio or vialone rice and Parmesan cheese. It can be a base for more complex flavors and is often garnished with smoked meats, roasted vegetables, or chopped herbs. The best risotto is served right after cooking, and additional grated cheese is usually served on top as a side dish.
Parmesan risotto, or parmesan in Italian, is a creamy rice dish made with Parmesan cheese. It is perhaps the most classic risotto preparation and is often used as a base for more complex flavors or ingredients. Making Parmesan risotto isn’t usually difficult, although it can be time consuming. The moisture of the rice should be closely monitored and the cheese should be stirred into the sauce until it melts.
Risotto is a style of serving rice famous in Italian cuisine. Restaurants and cooks in other parts of Europe and North America often misclassify risotto as a pasta. It is prepared in many ways as a pasta would be, and when done well, has a rich, pasta-like taste. The risotto is actually rice based, however.
There are a few types of rice that will work for risotto, but Arborio and vialone are the most common. Both are short-grain rice varieties that absorb moisture well. Long grain rice doesn’t usually work for risotto.
Parmesan cheese is an ingredient in almost every type of risotto. In a sense, therefore, almost any risotto could be considered a “parmesan risotto”. More often than not, however, the dish is characterized by its main or most flavorful ingredient. A risotto that is specifically labeled “parmesan risotto” is probably a very simple preparation.
Basic doesn’t necessarily mean uninteresting, however. Even the simplest risotto dishes are rich and flavorful. This is perhaps not surprising, considering the basic ingredients are butter, white wine, cream, and piles of grated parmesan.
The best Parmesan risottos are served right after cooking, just after the cheese has started to melt. The rice grains should be firm to the bite, but not hard, and completely covered in the sauce. Most sauces have a little salt or spice to counteract the richness of the cream cheese. Additional grated cheese is usually served on top of the served dish, as a side dish.
Cooking with Parmesan often requires some attention to the melting rate of the cheese. Parmesan is a dry cheese that takes longer than many softer cheeses to melt, especially when coarsely grated. The texture and flavor of risotto cream sauce is usually best just when the cheese begins to melt.
Parmesan risotto is often garnished with smoked meats, roasted vegetables, or chopped herbs. Almost anything can be added to the dish, as its flavors are subtle and neutral enough to complement a wide range of foods. It’s also easy to create variations by adding additions or changes to the sauce. Adding different cheeses can create a three or four cheese risotto, for example, just like adding tomato puree can create a festive red tomato risotto.
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