Broccoli Parmesan Risotto

This broccoli parmesan risotto turns an Italian comfort food classic into a rich and creamy veggie delight that’s layered with broccoli rice, fresh parmesan cheese, and parsley. I love to enjoy a bowl of this with extra cheese on top, and it’s also a family favorite for holiday dinners. As soon as that first crisp breeze rolls in, I instantly crave a warm bowl of risotto. It’s cozy and comforting, and I love that it’s extremely adaptable to any flavor you throw at it. Of course, being someone who loves to sneak veggies into everything, I had to give it a try with some broccoli! And who doesn’t love a broccoli parmesan combination? One test bite and I knew this would become a fall and winter side dish staple alongside filet mignon, shrimp scampi, and so much more, though it can also hold it’s own as a vegetarian main course.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ large yellow onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
4 to 5 cups broccoli florets
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons butter
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Make broccoli rice: Add the broccoli florets to a food processor and pulse a few times to create broccoli rice. Alternative, you can cut the broccoli into a small dice with a knife.
Heat the broth: In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the broth to a simmer.
Vegetable broth in a pot.
Saute the aromatics: Heat the oil in a separate large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt, and saute another 30 seconds.
Add the rice: Add the rice and stir for another minute, until lightly toasted.
Add the liquids and broccoli rice: Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, and stir constantly until all of the liquid has absorbed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of heated broth and simmer until it’s absorbed, stirring constantly for about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue adding the broth, a cup at a time, simmering until fully absorbed before adding more. Stir constantly throughout this process, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Then, add the broccoli to the risotto when you add the last cup of broth, stirring it for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add parmesan. Remove the risotto from the heat. Add the parmesan, parsley, butter, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to the risotto. Stir together to combine.
Serve: Serve the risotto while warm, and if you’d like, garnish with extra parmesan and parsley.

Tips & Tricks:
– You can use vegetable broth or chicken broth. Just make sure to choose a good quality broth, as the flavor will really impart into the risotto.
– You can swap the wine for more broth if you’re alcohol-free.
– If you’d like it extra creamy, you can add a splash of heavy cream at the end as well.
– You can make this dairy-free by omitting the cheese and butter, but it will reduce how creamy it is.

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