Risotto is an Italian classic. It can be served with a vast array of different ingredients and prepared in a number of ways.
Luckily you don’t need to travel all the way to Italy to have a great tasting Italian-style risotto. With Minute® Rice and a few other ingredients, you can enjoy a delicious risotto in no time at all from the comfort of your own home.
In today’s post, we are going to take a look at some of our favorite risotto recipes along with some other classic Italian dishes that can be easily made with Minute® Rice.
But before we begin, what are some typical toppings that go well with Risotto?
Risotto Toppings
There is no shortage of things that you can serve with your risotto. If you are looking to spice up your risotto dishes, why not try some of these ingredients that you might already have on your shelf:
- Meat (chicken, bacon)
- Vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, corn, mushrooms, peas)
- Herbs (basil, parsley)
- Seafood (shrimp)
- Cheese (parmesan, blue cheese)
Now that we’ve got our toppings, let’s take a look at some simple risotto recipes.
Risotto Recipes
These recipes are designed to be simple to make, so you can enjoy great tasting risotto in no time at all.
Risottos With Meat
For a comforting risotto dish that can be ready in just 20 minutes, learn how to make this Chicken Parmesan Risotto. If you want to add in some greens, feel free to toss in frozen peas as well.
This Chicken and Spinach Risotto made with Minute® Instant White Rice can also be ready in just 20 minutes. Although the recipe calls for chicken broth, you can add in dry white wine to give this dish a more authentic flavor. On the other hand, if you are craving a lighter flavor, try adding in Romano Cheese.
For an even quicker risotto, this Chicken Carbonara Risotto can be rustled up in 4 simple steps, taking just 15 minutes. For more of a balanced flavor, try substituting the bacon bits for mushrooms.
Seafood Risottos
If you’re craving a bit of seafood with your risotto, try making this Shrimp and Corn Risotto with Minute® Instant White Rice, basil, spinach, tomatoes and parmesan.
Vegetarian Risottos
If you are following a vegetarian diet, then try swapping in vegetable broth for the chicken broth in this Mushroom Risotto recipe made with Minute® Instant Brown Rice. Although ready in just 20 minutes, this dish tastes just as good as a traditional risotto. For additional flavor, you can try sautéing some onion and garlic in the melted butter before adding the mushrooms. For some more Italian flavor, you can also top this dish off with some chopped tomatoes.
You can also swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth and replace the bacon with your favorite vegetable in this 20 minute, restaurant-quality Creamy Blue Cheese Risotto recipe. This Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto made with Minute® Instant White Rice is another recipe that can easily be made vegetarian by swapping out the chicken broth for a vegetarian alternative.
“Mix it With” Risottos
With Minute® Rice Mix it Up With meal ideas, you don’t even need to follow a recipe to make risotto. Simply mix together a Minute® Chicken and Herb Rice Cup, heavy cream, grated parmesan, chopped basil and some garlic powder to create a base for a creamy chicken risotto which you can easily add to or adapt based on your own tastes.
If you are still craving Italian food after one of these Risottos, there are plenty of other classic Italian dishes that can be made with Minute® Rice.
Other Italian Style Dishes
For a dish that’s similar to risotto, but not quite risotto, check out this Creamy Italian Mushroom Rice made with Minute® Jasmine Rice which can be made in just under 30 minutes. For a more filling dish, try adding in some shredded beef or chicken to it. On the other hand, you can also easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by using vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
For a Sicilian street food classic, learn how to make these deep-fried Italian Arancini Rice Cups served with garlic croutons, frozen peas and tomato sauce.
If you’re after some restaurant-quality Italian comfort food that can be made in just 5 minutes, learn how to make this Cacio E Pepe Rice With Chicken recipe with either butter or olive oil.
Up Your Meal Game Fast!
If you prefer a bit more freedom in the kitchen when cooking, check out some of these other Italian Mix It Up Meal ideas.
Meatball Marinara: Mix together a Minute® White Rice Cup, meatballs, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce.
Italian Salad: Mix together a Minute® White Rice Cup, mozzarella balls, balsamic dressing, cherry tomatoes.
Cheesy Pesto Rice: Mix together Minute® Basmati Rice cup, pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, pine nuts.
For more great tasting Italian dishes, check out the recipes page on the Minute® Rice website.
