Lemon Risotto ~ #SundaySupper

Creamy risotto bursting with bright,vibrant lemon.

You probably won’t believe it, but spring is only 5 days away. I’ll wait while you take that in, maybe do a little happy dance.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to kick winter to the curb. Bring on the sunshine, bright colors, warm air, and vibrant recipes with fresh, seasonal ingredients. I can’t wait for our local farmers’ markets to open their doors again. My cute little market bag is waiting patiently for its escape from the hall closet.

Our largest farmer’s market is located under the 83 bridge in downtown Baltimore. If you’re from the area, you know how amazing the market is. Vendors come from all over: Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. They offer everything under the sun. You can smell Zeke’s coffee as soon as you pull up under the bridge. They make some of the best coffee around. There’s a pickle vendor (I hit them up every time) that brings barrel upon barrel of various pickles–half sour, full sour, spicy, and the list goes on.

My mom and I try to make it downtown every Sunday we can during the season. We get there as soon as it opens (the place gets crowded and parking is limited) and we always arrive hungry. The place has the best omelet bar; you don’t want to miss it!

This lemon risotto is inspired by the fresh flavors of spring and time spent perusing the downtown farmer’s market for seasonal ingredients with my mama. It just so happens that my mom loves this risotto dish.

Honestly, why wouldn’t she? It’s creamy, loaded with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and bursting with the bright flavor of lemon. It gets topped with fresh lemon zest and an grating of parmesan cheese–you know, for good measure.

This spring-inspired dish pairs perfectly with Gallo Family Vineyards’ Chardonnay. It’s a lighter-bodied blend with hints of citrus and vanilla.

If you prefer red wine, their Merlot is absolutely delicious. It’s not too sweet and not too dry with flavors of black cherry and ripe plum.

Despite what you may have heard, risotto is really quite easy to make. It takes about 30-minutes from start to finish and a lot of stirring. If you can rock a wooden spoon, you can make risotto.

It’s definitely worth the effort. The end result is absolutely delicious. This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so invite your friends and family, pop open a bottle of wine, and enjoy.

Find a Gallo Family Vineyards retailer near you with their store locator. To receive updates, follow Gallo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and You Tube. Visit Gallo’s blog post and the Cooking with Wine Pinterest board for more wine pairing suggestions and recipe inspiration.

Print Recipe

Lemon Risotto

Creamy risotto bursting with the bright flavor of lemon.

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 35 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/3 cup white wine (such as Gallo Family Pinot Grigio)
• 3 and 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the chicken stock or vegetable stock to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic; sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent.
3. Add the arborio rice and sauté until nutty and fragrant, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the wine to the pan and cook until the wine reduces and absorbs into the rice, about 2 minutes.
5. Begin ladling in the warm stock, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Allow most of the stock to absorb into the rice before adding additional stock. Continue adding stock one ladle at a time until the rice is al dente, but not mushy, about 25-30 minutes.
6. Stir in the lemon zest, juice, and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with extra lemon zest and grated fresh parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

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