A hearty and comforting meal that will stick to your ribs! This Creamy Parmesan & Shrimp Risotto is velvety and full of rich flavors. With plump shrimp, creamy rice, and salty Parmesan cheese, this dish will become a household staple!

Creamy & Dreamy

There are some times when you want a meal that is a little bit fancy. However, you do not want an overcomplicated recipe and a set of ingredients to do so. Plus, you might be having guests over, and you want to impress them with a nice meal. One of my favorite and go-to meals to do this is Risotto.

The good thing about risotto is that it can be made to your liking. The ingredients that you can add to and top it with are endless. Plus, it’s simple to make! My Creamy Parmesan & Shrimp Risotto will surely please your family or any crowd. You just have to make sure you save yourself some!

What is Risotto?

I used to think risotto was such a complicated dish to make. It seemed so fancy when people would talk about it. When I finally learned how to make it, I was so confused about how easy it was to make.

Risotto is a Northern Italian rice dish. The rice is cooked in some form of stock or broth (i.e. vegetable, chicken, seafood, etc.) until the starches have pulled out from the rice creating a creamy consistency. 

The rice is first cooked in some form of fat, typically butter until it begins to smell like fresh toast. Risotto has a standard 1 to 3 ratio of rice to stock/broth. It is 1 cup of rice to 3 cups of stock/broth.

After the rice is toasted, the liquid is then added 1 cup at a time. Once one cup has evaporated, the next cup is added. This process continues until the mixture is creamy and dreamy.

Depending on the location in Italy, risotto styles vary. But, the risotto should always be served "all'onda." In Italian, this means like a wave or wave-like. When plated, the risotto should be able to ripple and move like a wave. From my personal knowledge and experience, risotto is always served on a plate.

What type of rice is used to make risotto?

The key to making risotto is the overall technique and the choice of rice. You want to choose rice that is short to medium grain. The rice should also have a high starch content. The starches flow out of the rice as it is cooked in the broth creating a creamy consistency. So make sure that you do not rinse the rice. 

Here are two of the most common types of rice to make risotto with:

Arborio Rice

Arborio Rice rice is accessible in most grocery stores. It has a high starch content, but it is not as high as Carnaroli Rice. But, it will still create an amazing end product. 

Carnaroli Rice

Carnaroli Rice is probably the best rice to use when making risotto. Its high starch content and ability to stay consistent while cooking is amazing. It produces an amazing and flavorful risotto. However, you will have to look a little harder for this rice. 

Creamy Parmesan & Shrimp Risotto Ingredients

The ingredients are pretty simple in this recipe; but, let’s still walk through them to understand them. 

• Stock/Broth: Seafood, chicken, or vegetable stock will work just fine for this recipe. As I always say, make sure that you are using a good quality stock or broth.

• Shrimp: I used raw large shrimp for this recipe. I left the tails on my shrimp for presentation purposes. But, you do not have to. Just make sure that they are properly deveined. 

• EVOO: Extra virgin olive oil is used when seasoning the shrimp. Other cooking oils will work as well (i.e. grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, etc.) 

• Salted Butter: Everything's better with salted butter. But, unsalted butter, EVOO, or other cooking oil will work as well. The flavor will be slightly different though. 

• Yellow Onion & Garlic: These two are added into butter right before the rice is toasted. They add great flavor to the dish. 

• Rice: Again, choosing the right rice is critical in this dish. Either Arborio or Carnaroli Rice will work.

• Turmeric Powder: The turmeric powder is optional. But, it brightens up the dish a lot. Plus, turmeric is full of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 

• Parmesan Cheese: The cheese makes the risotto even more decadent. Plus, a little cheese makes everything better.

• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: I only used these simple seasonings. I really wanted to focus on the creaminess of the dish and not have other seasonings stand out. 

• Baby Spinach Leaves: This dish is straight-up comfort food. I needed some type of vegetable in it to make it somewhat nutritious. The spinach added a great touch. It will wilt very easily. 

• Fresh Lemon Juice: I always suggest using fresh lemon juice. This will help cut some of the creaminess of the dish. Plus, it will

• Parsley or Scallions: Either will do. They add a nice touch at the end when plating.

How to Make Creamy Parmesan & Shrimp Risotto:

Now that we have gotten the ingredients out of the way, we get into actually making this delicious risotto. This meal literally made my entire night a lot better!

The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.

• Step 1: Heat the Stock. In a medium saucepot, heat the stock on medium heat and keep warm.

• Step 2: Sear the Shrimp. In another medium saucepot, add 2 tbsp of EVOO. Heat the pot on medium-high. Season the shrimp well with salt and black pepper to taste. Sear the shrimp on one side until browned (about 1 - 2 minutes). Remove the shrimp from the pan and add to a bowl. Do not fully cook the shrimp.

• Step 3: Saute the Onions & Garlic. Keep the saucepot on medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of salted butter into the pot. Once heated, add the onions and saute until translucent (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the rice. Toast the rice for 4 - 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium.

• Step 4: Add the first cup of stock. Add the first cup of stock. With a wooden spoon, mix the rice. When most of the liquid has evaporated, add the next cup of stock. 

• Step 5: Repeat the previous step. Repeat until 3 cups of stock have been added. Leave the last cup of stock available. Cook until the rice is almost tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. The final product should look creamy and have a medium consistency. 

• Step 6: Adjust the Consistency. Adjust with additional stock if the risotto gets too thick. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

• Step 7: Add the remaining ingredients. Add the Turmeric and Parmesan cheese. Mix until fully combined. Add the shrimp and mix. Cook until the shrimp are fully cooked (about 3 minutes). Add the spinach and lemon juice. Cook until the spinach has wilted (about 2 minutes).

• Step 8: Garnish & Serve. Immediately scoop and serve the risotto onto plates. Garnish with parsley or scallions and enjoy!

I’d love to hear your feedback about this Creamy Parmesan & Shrimp Risotto. Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

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