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This Baked Parmesan Risotto is rich, creamy, cheesy, and so easy to make! No need to stand over the stove stirring when you can just bake it in the oven. It’s a delicious and comforting side dish to serve with your next meal and a wonderful addition to your holiday dinner (perfect for Easter!).
If you love this risotto recipe, then I know you’ll love my lemon asparagus risotto!
Thanks to Zoup! Good, Really Good® for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.
Why I love it
Oven baked risotto – If you’ve ever made risotto on the stovetop you know it’s a labor of love. So much stirring! Did you know you can get those same creamy results baking it in the oven? It’s a game changer!
Upgraded rice dish – If you’re tired of steamed rice or rice pilaf, risotto is the answer! It’s the creamy cousin to these other cooking methods. If you’re concerned that creaminess means extra fat, it’s not, unless you choose to make it that way.
Impressive side dish – Whenever I serve risotto to family and friends it’s always well received. Everyone loves that creamy texture and thinks you spent lots of time making. You don’t have to mention that you only spent 15 minutes prepping it while the oven did the rest of the work.
Super flavorful – For this recipe I used Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™Chicken Base with Bone Broth. Developed by the 20+ year soup industry veteran behind Zoup! Eatery and made with clean ingredients.
This gourmet broth base adds rich, homemade flavor to recipes and can also be used to create delicious sipping broth. In addition to chicken, the lineup also includes beef bone broth and savory vegan broth bases. The concentrates are free of GMO’s, gluten, and the eight major allergens.
Zoup! also offers traditional broths and bone broths, including chicken, beef, veggie,
and seafood, plus gourmet, shelf-stable soups available in five, chef-inspired recipes,
like Chicken & Riced Cauliflower and Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage.
Zoup!s products are available on Amazon.com. Visit ZoupBroth.com to learn more and follow @ZoupGoodReallyGood on Facebook , Instagram , and TikTok and
@ZoupGoodReallyGoodBroth on Pinterest .
What is risotto?
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish and the most popular way of cooking rice there. Rice is cooked in broth until it becomes thick and creamy.
Any type of broth can be used and additions such as onion, butter, herbs, white wine, and Parmesan cheese are often added to it.
The ingredients
- Arborio rice – A high starch, short grain rice. The star ingredient in risotto.
- Shallots – A mild and slightly sweeter variety of onion.
- Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™Chicken Base with Bone Broth – This concentrate is made in small batches with no artificial flavors or ingredients, no preservatives, no inexpensive fillers, and no added sugar. It’s also lower in sodium compared to competitive brands.
- White wine – Dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc are best for cooking. If you don’t do alcohol substitute with additional broth.
- Butter – Adds richness to the risotto.
- Thyme – Fresh thyme adds a nice herbaceous flavor to the risotto. You can use any fresh herb that you like.
- Lemon zest – Lemon zest brightens up the flavor of the risotto. It’s a great way to get lemon flavor without any of the tart flavor that you get with the juice.
- Parmesan cheese – If possible, don’t skimp on the cheese and use the highest quality, Parmigiano Reggiano. It gives the risotto a salty umami flavor.
How to make baked parmesan risotto
Sauté the shallots – Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a Dutch oven or large oven safe pot with a lid, add a tablespoon of olive oil. When it’s hot, add in the diced shallot along with a little salt and pepper. Sauté the shallots for 3-4 minutes until they’re soft.
Stir in the rice and broth – Before adding in the rice make the Zoup! Chicken Base with Bone Broth. You’ll use 1 teaspoon of the concentrate for every cup of water, so 5 teaspoons total. Be sure the water is hot and then whisk it in until it dissolves.
Add the rice to the pot with the shallots and let it toast for a couple minutes, then pour in the wine. Let the alcohol cook off for a minute and then pour in 4 cups of the broth. Season with salt and pepper and stir everything together.
Bake – Cover the Dutch oven with the lid then place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 22-28 minutes.
Stir – Remove the risotto from the oven and add in the butter, thyme leaves, lemon zest parmesan cheese and remaining cup of broth. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes or until the risotto is smooth and creamy. If using peas, stir them in at the end. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
What to serve with risotto
Baked risotto FAQ:
Arborio rice is the most reliable rice to use when making risotto and most commonly found in the grocery store. It’s a short grain rice that has a high starch content.
Carnaroli rice will also work well, however it’s not as easy to find and usually only available in specialty grocery stores. I don’t recommend using any other variety of rice other than these two.
Risotto should be thick and creamy, similar to oatmeal or porridge. It shouldn’t be soupy. The texture of the rice should be al dente, meaning it’s fully cooked, but there’s still some chew to it. It shouldn’t be mushy.
Technically yes, but I don’t recommend freezing risotto. The rice can become hard when frozen and the texture will change. I find that it tastes mealy or gritty after it’s been frozen.
How to store and reheat risotto
Risotto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat risotto, add it to a saucepan or skillet and warm it over medium heat. You will likely need to add additional broth as it will thicken in the refrigerator due to the starch in the rice.
I suggest stirring in a couple tablespoons of broth at a time and more as needed. You may also find that you need to add additional salt or parmesan cheese.
What to serve with risotto
Risotto is often served as a side dish, but you could easily serve it as a main dish by adding some roasted veggies or cooked chicken to it.
If serving it as a side dish, I recommend some kind of protein such as steak, fish, or chicken. This creamy mushroom chicken or even these chicken parmesan meatballs would go great with it.
To keep this meal vegetarian serve the risotto with a hearty salad or side dish like this sweet potato and kale salad or these miso roasted brussels sprouts.
More Italian recipes
Did you make this baked parmesan risotto? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Baked Parmesan Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced shallots
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 5 teaspoons Zoup! Good Really Good ® Culinary Concentrate ™ Chicken Base with Bone Broth, mixed into 5 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup peas optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over
medium-high heat. Add the diced shallot into the pot with salt and pepper and
sauté for 2-3 minutes or until soft. - Pour in the rice and toast it in the pot stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Pour in
the wine and let the alcohol cook off for a minute before pouring in 4 cups of the
broth. Season with salt and pepper and stir everything together. - Cover the pot with the lid then place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for
22-28 minutes. - Remove the risotto from the oven and add in the butter, thyme leaves, lemon
zest, parmesan cheese and remaining cup of broth. Stir vigorously for 2-3
minutes or until the risotto is smooth and creamy. If you’re using peas stir them
in. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this twice and it is delicious! Easy to make and so good! I added sautéed shrimp and asparagus but even as a side dish would be great!
Love the additions you added to the risotto Shari! Great way to turn it into a main dish.
This is the best and easiest risotto I have ever made. It was quick and delicious