Lemon Mascarpone Risotto

Every year, Mikey and I celebrate Valentine’s the same way.  We share a dinner together (made entirely by him!) and we go through a scrapbook I surprise him with of our entire previous year.  It is such a fun and memorable time we both enjoy.  We are not all about the fancy dinners and overpriced flowers.  We like to enjoy those things year round.  So instead, we relax at home on Valentine’s day and enjoy some quality time together.

This year, Mikey cooked another fabulous dinner.  He spent a bit of time on my Pinterest boards looking for something I had never made, but he knew I would like and then gathered all the ingredients he needed and got cooking.  What he made was an amazing dish of Risotto unlike any other I have ever tried.

This risotto was gooey and cheesy, full of mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses and also had a tang to it, thanks to the lemon peel that soaked in the veggie broth, and then the addition of lemon zest AND lemon juice.  I thought it would be too much of a kick, but it turned out beautifully.  He added a little bit of chicken to the dish, topped it with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and a bit of basil and it was done.

This dish was so simple! Complete in just about 30 minutes and very straight forward and easy to make.  I mean, when Mikey told me he was going to make Risotto, I was a bit nervous.  For someone who does not cook too often, I thought that would be quite a challenge for him, but I was wrong.  He found it incredibly easy and fun to make! We are definitely going to be making this one again!


Lemon Mascarpone Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 lemons – 1 zested and juiced – 1 peeled yellow part only
  • 2 tbsp . olive oil
  • 2 shallots chopped
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry vermouth
  • 4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • A few leaves of fresh or dried basil

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan, heat the broth and lemon peel over medium-low heat. Cover and keep warm.
  2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened. Add the rice and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add about 2 cups of warm stock and cook, until the liquid has evaporated. Add 2 more cups of stock, and continue cooking until evaporated again. Add 1 cup stock and the lemon zest, and cook until evaporated. Be sure to stir often to avoid sticking.
  4. Taste the rice to see if it’s done. If needed, add additional broth and cook for a bit longer. It should be a bit stiff, yet still creamy in texture.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Top with a bit of basil and additional grated Parmesan.

If this looks good to you, check out THIS recipe!

 

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