Simple Parmesan Lemon Risotto Recipe Excites the Taste Buds (7 Ingredients, 30 Minutes) by 30Seconds Food

Ready to risotto? Risotto is a dish from northern Italy. Short-grain rice is cooked in liquid – broth and wine – until it reaches a creamy consistency. There's a lot of stirring in the risotto-making process, so prepare yourself. But the end result is so worth it. This creamy Parmesan lemon risotto recipe is fantastic!

This easy lemon risotto recipe with Parmesan cheese is full of flavor and only requires a few simple ingredients. Here is what to gather from your fridge and pantry for this Italian recipe: arborio rice, chicken broth, butter, olive oil, dry white wine, lemons for juicing and zesting, Parmesan cheese (Parmesan cheese has health benefits) and optional fresh basil, oregano or thyme.

Photo credit: all photos under license from BigStock

You can serve the risotto as a vegetarian main dish for dinner, as a light lunch or as a side dish with seafood, chicken, lamb, pork, venison, turkey or beef.

Cuisine: Italian / American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes (approximately)
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 32 ounces (1 box) chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces dry white wine 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/2 teaspoon minced basil, oregano or thyme (optional)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Here's how to make it:

1. Put the broth into a saucepot. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to keep it warm.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. When melted together, add the rice. Stir about 2 minutes. 
3. Add the wine and continue to stir until wine evaporates. 
4. Add a ladle full of the warm broth and continue to cook and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Repeat with the remaining broth until all the broth is used and/or rice is tender. 
5. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir in the herbs, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave. You can add a little broth or milk to loosen it up.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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