Description
Ina Garten’s one-pot oven risotto delivers creamy comfort with minimal kitchen effort. Parmesan, white wine, and arborio rice combine for a luxurious meal that simplifies traditional risotto preparation while ensuring rich, satisfying flavors you will devour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb fresh asparagus (tough ends removed, cut diagonally in 1-inch lengths)
- 1.5 cups (10 oz) Arborio rice
- 1 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
- 5–6 cups simmering chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 0.5 cup dry white wine
- 1.25 cups thinly sliced shallots (2 large)
- 3 tbsps unsalted butter (diced)
- 0.5 tsp saffron threads
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), positioning the rack in the center for optimal heat distribution.
- Sauté Foundation: In an 11-inch Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium flame. Sauté shallots until they become translucent and release their aromatic essence, approximately 2 minutes.
- Vegetable Prelude: Introduce asparagus to the shallot base, cooking while stirring intermittently until achieving a crisp-tender consistency. Transfer the vegetable medley to a holding bowl for later incorporation.
- Rice Coating: Without cleansing the Dutch oven, drizzle additional olive oil and add Arborio rice. Gently coat each grain, ensuring a uniform oil gloss that promises depth of flavor.
- Liquid Integration: Pour chicken stock over the rice, sprinkling saffron threads to impart a golden hue and distinctive fragrance. Securely cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the preheated oven.
- Oven Transformation: Bake for 35 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb liquid and develop a tender, creamy texture. The slow, enveloping heat cultivates risotto’s signature luxurious consistency.
- Flavor Layering: Extract the Dutch oven from the oven and introduce white wine, stirring to integrate and liberate any caramelized essence clinging to the pot’s bottom.
- Final Enrichment: Incorporate remaining chicken stock, Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, and black pepper. Vigorously stir with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, encouraging starch release and creating a silky, creamy canvas.
- Vegetable Reunion: Fold the reserved asparagus and shallots into the risotto, allowing them to warm and harmonize with the creamy rice.
- Presentation: Serve immediately, crowning with an additional dusting of Parmesan cheese to elevate the dish’s richness and visual appeal.
Notes
- Prep Like a Pro: Use fresh, high-quality Arborio rice for the creamiest texture and authentic risotto experience.
- Temperature Trick: Keep chicken stock warm before adding to prevent temperature shock and ensure even cooking.
- Saffron Secret: A pinch of saffron transforms the dish with its luxurious golden color and complex flavor profile.
- Stirring Strategy: Vigorous stirring at the end releases rice starches, creating that signature creamy risotto consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg