Risotto is one of my favorite things to make.

• I usually have all the ingredients for basic risotto on hand
• It feeds a crowd
• It’s basically therapy, stir stir stir your troubles away
• It never makes you choose… you can get seasonal with your ingredients… stick to the basics… or get wild with rosé wine like I did in this version

Risotto typically calls for dry white wine but when your brain says summer and the calendar says March sometimes you just have to go for a rosé (especially when it’s 20 degrees out like right now… very over winter). Make sure it’s a decent one that’s not too sweet.  This is important for the risotto and important for you as you crank up the heat, sip on rosé and pretend this is July risotto not March risotto.

You’ll need:

• 1 pound shrimp
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 cups veggie broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 0.5 cup rosé wine (or white wine)
• 1.5 cups grated parmesan
• 0.5 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• Zest of two lemons
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt/pep

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pat shrimp dry.  Toss shrimp with one tablespoon of olive, paprika and salt/pep.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place in fridge.
2. Warm broth in large saucepan over low heat.
3. In a large skillet, melt two tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened and beginning to brown.
4. Add rice and stir to coat in butter and onions for 1-2 minutes.
5. Deglaze pan with the wine, scraping the pan until the wine has evaporated.
6. Beginning adding the broth, a quarter cup at a time, stirring as much as you can in between sips of rosé. Wait to add another quarter cup of broth until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice.  You can’t rush this process, expect it to take about 20 minutes but start tasting the rice after 10 minutes.  You want it to be cooked but still chewy.
7. When you think the rice has about 5 minutes to go, put the shrimp in the oven. Bake for five minute, until the shrimp is pink and set aside.
8. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan, mascarpone, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste and add salt/pep as needed.  Stir in half of the parsley. Stir in shrimp.  Make sure the butter and mascarpone are melted and giving the risotto extra creaminess.  Garnish with remaining parsley.

Inspired by TheKitchen