Creamy Brown Butter Cauliflower & Pancetta Risotto


Creamy, restaurant-style risotto is just about the Best. Thing. Ever. Believe it or not, you can make risotto yourself quite easily, even for those who wouldn’t call themselves “chefs!”

If I haven’t tantalized you yet, let me just add that this risotto recipe includes brown butter and pancetta…

To cut the richness, I add in some cauliflower that melts into the risotto and adds a subtle sweetness that’s just heavenly.

The best part of making risotto at home is that you’re making risotto to-order. Typically, at restaurants, it’s difficult to make a new batch for every customer that orders it. That means risotto gets mushy and turns into more of a pudding than a risotto! Risotto is traditionally made in Italy just like pasta: al dente! The rice itself has some “bite” but the surrounding “sauce” is creamy, decadent, and comforting.

Make your own restaurant-style risotto and enjoy alone or top with seared scallops or chicken!

My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!

 

 

 

Makes: 4 medium portions

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

The Ingredients

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

12 ounces bite-sized cauliflower florets

1 small yellow onion, chopped

5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (you can sub vegetable broth but chicken broth is more flavorful!)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1/3 cup grated parmesan (or Parmigiano-Reggiano) cheese

4 ounces diced pancetta

Black pepper

 

 

 

The Steps

For pancetta: In a small dry pot, cook pancetta until crispy, about 6-8 minutes over medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to separate grease from pancetta, discarding of grease and setting pancetta aside.

For creamy risotto: In a large pot over medium-low heat, add a tablespoon of butter and rice. Toast rice in butter for 3 minutes. Add onion, and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add 2 cups of broth and increase heat to medium-high. Stirring every few minutes, cook rice in broth for 5-7 minutes until rice soaks up about 75% of the broth.

Add 1 more cup of broth (cup 3) and cauliflower, making sure the florets are submerged in liquid. Follow the same process: stir every few minutes, cooking rice in broth for 5-7 minutes until rice soaks up about 75% of the broth.

Add another cup of broth (cup 4), cooking rice in broth for 5-7 minutes until rice soaks up about 75% of the broth, stirring often.

Add a last cup of broth (cup 5), cooking rice in broth for 5-7 minutes until rice soaks up about 90% of the broth, stirring often.

Now it’s time to taste! The risotto should be al-dente! If it is too hard, add a ½ cup more of broth and keep cooking. If it is al dente, turn your burner off.

For brown butter: In a small saucepan, add 7 tablespoons of butter. Let butter melt over medium heat. After butter melts, wait for sizeable bubbles to form in the butter (may take a few minutes). This is right before the butter browns! Turn heat to low and move pan in a circular motion to keep butter active while still over heat. Wait for the butter to turn a deep mahogany, in about a minute or two (but not black…AKA burned!). Remove immediately from heat, and pour over risotto.

Add pancetta, parmesan and black pepper. Stir until creamy.

Serve immediately.

TIP: serve alone (my favorite way) or top with seared scallops, chicken, or another protein!

 

 

The Steps with Video

My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!

YouTube video

 

About Grace Vallo

Hi, I’m Grace Vallo! Welcome to my kitchen! Here you’ll find kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials with videos, giving home cooks the knowledge and confidence to cook and bake the most flavorful recipes for every season. Featured on the Food Network, Food & Wine, Taste of Home and more.

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