Pesto Risotto Recipe With Fresh Basil
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jul 13, 2024 • 2 min read
To make pesto risotto, simply stir homemade basil pesto into creamy risotto. This makes for a comforting side dish or vegetarian main course.
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What Is Pesto Risotto?
Pesto risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish with a generous dollop of pesto stirred in at the end. Risotto traditionally calls for arborio rice—a rounded, short-grain white rice with a high starch content—though you can substitute carnaroli rice or other grains for an oat or barley risotto.
The key to risotto is the cooking method: sautéing the starch and then cooking it on low heat as you add ladles of broth. This allows the rice to release its starches gradually, yielding a perfectly al dente result in a creamy sauce. Other common ingredients in risotto include butter, sautéed shallots, Parmesan cheese, dry white wine, garlic cloves, and seasonal vegetables.
3 Tips for Making Pesto Risotto
Use these tips to ensure you make the perfect pesto risotto every time:
- 1. Add citrus. Though not a traditional pesto ingredient, lemon juice and/or zest can help brighten up pesto.
- 2. Swap in vegetable stock. You can make this dish vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for chicken stock.
- 3. Use fresh basil leaves. Dried basil tastes completely different than the fresh stuff. Also, fresh basil leaves contain their own moisture in the form of both water and natural oils, which contributes to pesto’s creaminess.
Simple Pesto Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
1 hr 5 mincook time
50 minIngredients
For the pesto:
For the risotto:
- 1
In a food processor or blender, pulse the pine nuts until a smooth paste forms.
- 2
Add the garlic and pulse until smooth and fully incorporated.
- 3
Add the basil and a pinch of salt and pulse a few times, until the leaves break down and a bright green paste forms.
- 4
Remove from blender and stir in the cheese and the oil, then add salt to taste.
- 5
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a low boil then reduce heat to low, keeping the broth just below a simmer. You want the broth to be about the same temperature as the rice while it’s cooking.
- 6
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-low, then add the shallots and sauté until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir continuously until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- 7
Add the rice to the onion-garlic mixture, season with salt, and stir to combine. Continue stirring until rice is well coated and starting to become translucent, 2–5 minutes.
- 8
Add about ½ cup warm broth and a splash of wine to the rice mixture. Stir often using a wooden spoon, until rice has fully absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth in ½ cup increments, following each addition with a splash of wine and allowing rice to absorb liquid between additions, until rice is al dente, about 25–35 minutes. (You may not need all of the liquid.)
- 9
Remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup pesto sauce, stirring to combine. Add more pesto as desired. Cover and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- 10
Garnish with cheese and a few cracks of black pepper, and serve with lemons alongside for squeezing over the top.
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