…with Parmesan and Vermouth. What if I don’t have vermouth? Can I still make this? Of course you can my friend! Read on….

I made this Risotto al Limone with Vermouth instead of white wine and let me tell you why… it is currently dry January in my house. I know.

So, the thought of opening a bottle of wine to cook with and then throwing it away was just… well, just so SAD. I just could not bring myself to do it. Truth be told, I actually do this a lot. It’s probably the only reason I always keep vermouth stocked in our bar. In a pinch it is fantastic for adding white wine flavours to your food without opening a bottle of wine. Not that I have any problem with that. I’m sure in February this will be Lemon Risotto with White Wine. Come back and see. 😉

A lot of people are scared of risotto and I get it. It seems like a lot of stirring and I’ll tell you why… because it’s a lot of stirring. It also comes together pretty quickly so you will not burn out your arm (or your patience). I promise.

I don’t usually choose to make traditional risotto when I’m entertaining for exactly that reason. I try to do everything I can to prep in advance and enjoy the party when we have guests. Does that mean I don’t make risotto at all? Nope. I make my default oven risotto or Instant Pot risotto which I have to say are just as enjoyable. (Remind me to share those with you someday!)

Moral of the story is this: It’s not that hard… it’s not a big deal… and it’s so, so good. You got this.

Anything Special You Need to Know?

*Unsure about subbing Vermouth for wine? One of my all time faves, Deb, over at Smitten Kitchen wrote a little post about this once and it sums up my thoughts on the matter perfectly.

*Don’t want to cook with booze at all? You can just leave it out.

Recipe-ish…

Risotto al Limone

Lemon scented risotto with vermouth and parmesan.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup white onion finely diced
• 1/2 cup vermouth or white wine
• 3 cups arborio rice
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup parmesan finely grated
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Heat 8 cups broth to a simmer, turn the heat down and keep hot on the stove.
• In medium sized heavy pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add in the onions and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the rice, stir, and cook another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the vermouth and cook until it’s mostly absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Start to ladle in the broth about a cup at a time, letting each addition cook until mostly absorbed, stirring often.
• Repeat until rice is cooked to al dente (you may not need all the broth).
• Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan and butter. Stir well until all is incorporated.
• Season well with salt and pepper.

Notes

*Can use water instead of broth.

Keyword Risotto al Limone

Let me know what you think!

If you like this Risotto al Limone Recipe then please check out my Vegetarian Zuppa Toscana Recipe. I think you’ll love it just as much.