Have you ever wondered how to make risotto at home? This creamy rice dish looks like a fancy restaurant-quality meal yet is super easy to make! Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto is classic Italian comfort food that will be a perfect first course, main course, or side dish to any meal!
Classic Italian recipe
Risotto is a classic Northern Italian rice dish that is usually served as a first course before the main course. Of course, it is also a perfect sidekick to various cooked types of meat. The basic risotto is made with high-starch white rice with round short grains such as Arborio rice. This risotto recipe is exceptional because it features sun-dried tomatoes that not only add a ton of flavor but also create a beautiful presentation.
Homemade risotto
Do you want to learn how to make risotto at home? It's really easy. I will provide you with detailed instructions and step-by-step photos for making the basic risotto at home. In a nutshell:
- The rice is gradually cooked in white wine and chicken stock until it reaches a creamy consistency. Patience and gradual addition of chicken stock are key here.
- Then it's made even creamier by adding butter and freshly shredded (or grated) Parmesan cheese.
- Make it a complete meal by pairing the sun-dried tomato risotto with simple and flavorful cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs or delicious creamy mushroom pork chops.
Sun-dried tomatoes elevate basic risotto to the next level!
The Fall is here, which means it's time for comfort food recipes. The sun-dried tomato risotto is a perfect first course, main course, or side dish. This restaurant-quality dish surely has a fancy name and looks sophisticated on a plate but so easy to make! It's a simple but cozy meal for colder months that is perfect to make on busy weeknights for your family and friends, or as a weekend dinner for when you have company over. Take this recipe over the top by adding protein, such as chicken, shrimp, or sausage.
The best rice for risotto
- High-starch white rice with round short grains is the best rice for making risotto. The most popular variety is Arborio. Other popular varieties of rice that work well in making risotto are Carnaroli, Maratelli, and Vialone Nano.
- Do not use Basmati or Jasmine rice. Do not use long-grain rice. Their starch content is not high enough to produce the proper creamy consistency. The size of their grains will also not work well for risotto.
What is the proper consistency for risotto?
- The final dish should have a rich and creamy texture (even though there is no cream in the risotto). This creaminess comes from the starch in the rice grains that are properly cooked.
- While the consistency should be creamy and should not overly thick (mushy).
- The rice should have an "al dente" texture (a bit hard to bite but in no way crunchy) and the grains should be visibly separate (not mushy). It's a fine balance.
The Main Ingredients
- Arborio rice is high-starch white rice with round short grains - it's perfect for making risotto.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. I used sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil which I drained and then used some of the oil in the cooking of the minced garlic and rice.
- Garlic adds pungency and flavor to the risotto.
- White wine. Use a dry white wine variety. If you don't have wine or don't want to use it, use chicken stock instead.
- Chicken broth. It allows the starches in the Arborio rice to slowly release, thicken, and turn creamy. You can use chicken stock, beef stock, or vegetable stock. You can also use broth (even though the stock is preferred). Make sure it's very warm or hot before adding it to the rice.
- Butter is folded into the sun-dried tomato risotto at the very end for creaminess.
- Parmesan cheese adds creaminess and salty flavor to the final dish. Make sure to use a block of cheese and shred/grate it yourself. Also, make sure the cheese is at room temperature.
- Spinach is added at the very end. Risotto works well with veggies, but make sure to add it at the very end.
Tips and techniques
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan such as a cast-iron skillet to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Do not wash and do not drain rice before making the risotto as that would get rid of a lot of starch that you actually need to achieve a creamy texture.
- Do not boil rice in advance as you would normally do when cooking rice.
- Pay attention. Risotto is one of those recipes where you have to constantly pay attention to the cooking process and, luckily, it would usually takes only 20 minutes! But you have to be present and highly attentive to achieve the proper creamy texture of rice.
- Gradually add the stock. The key to making the proper risotto is to gradually add hot chicken stock (or other broth of your choice) for about 20 minutes, in ½ cup increments, stirring often, until the stock is absorbed.
- Use hot stock. Preheat the chicken stock in a microwave oven (or in a separate pan), so that it's hot when you add it to the rice.
- Use a block of Parmesan cheese that you shred/grate yourself. Also, make sure the cheese is at room temperature - it will make it easier for the cheese to melt into the risotto.
Serve risotto right away
Sun-dried tomato risotto must be eaten right away because it will quickly become mushy and dry at the same time. This is not the dish that will keep well for leftovers.
How to store and reheat
Risotto is one of those dishes that doesn't really refrigerate well and does not freeze well either. It should be eaten right away. Reheating the risotto can be difficult and the sauce is likely to separate. If you do want to store the risotto, here are some tips:
- Leftover risotto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Do not freeze the risotto as it will result in the loss of texture.
- How to reheat in the microwave. Add a small amount of water, chicken stock, or milk to leftover risotto and reheat it briefly in the microwave in 30 seconds increments.
- How to reheat on the stovetop. Reheat the risotto in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-low heat and add a small amount of water, chicken stock, or milk to thin it out.
What to serve with risotto
Sun-dried risotto can be served as a complete meal. If you'd like to add some protein to make it more substantial, here are some ideas:
- Sausage. Cook Italian sausage - links or crumbled sausage - and add it to the risotto.
- Chicken. Make Chicken Zucchini Bake in the oven while cooking the risotto on the stovetop. Or, try Baked Italian Chicken with Vegetables.
- Shrimp. Sear the shrimp quickly in butter on the stovetop. Or, try this delicious Pesto Mushroom Shrimp.
Other rice side dishes
Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 cups arborio rice uncooked
- 1 cup white wine dry
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated or shredded, at room temperature
- 4 oz fresh spinach
- fresh basil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan such as a cast-iron skillet to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Heat chicken stock in a separate saucepan until hot and keep it hot.
- Drain oil from sun-dried tomatoes, leaving just enough (about 1 tablespoon) for sauteeing garlic. Sautee minced garlic with chopped sun-dried tomatoes for about 1 or 2 minutes in a cast-iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed pan).
- Add rice and stir it with a wooden spoon or spatula to coat it with olive oil. Saute the rice in olive oil for about 1 minute on medium heat, stirring. Make sure the rice doesn't burn.
- Add white wine and cook on medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the wine is completely absorbed by the rice.
- Add ½ cup of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir occasionally on medium-low heat until the stock is almost absorbed. You don't have to stir constantly, just once every minute or two.
- When the stock is almost absorbed, add another ½ cup of chicken stock to the rice and repeat the process.
- Continue to add chicken stock in ½ cup increments until the texture of the rice is soft but not too soft. You might not have to use all of the chicken stock. The rice should have an "al dente" texture (a bit hard to bite but in no way crunchy) and the grains should be visibly separate (not mushy).
- Reduce heat to low and add butter and grated parmesan. Stir everything well until the parmesan is melted.
- On low heat, add spinach and fresh basil, and stir it in. Remove from heat, cover the pan with the lid and allow the spinach to wilt for a couple of minutes. Stir again to incorporate wilted spinach into the risotto.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I have tried this recipe yesterday after seeing it on Facebook - so good! I used sun-dried tomatoes without oil, and just added regular olive oil when cooking them with garlic. Love that it's a gluten-free dish.
Helen, I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and liked it! Thank you for the comment and the 5-stars! 🙂
This looks amazing! Can I use grated cheese that comes in a can? Thanks
Debbie, I wouldn't use the grated cheese from the can. I used a block of cheese that I grated/shredded myself.