Arugula risotto Recipe with Lemon Zest and Parmesan cheese: this creamy risotto with fried shrimp and peppery arugula tastes delicious; every grain melts on your tongue. The soft, creamy risotto, the sweet taste of the shrimp, the spicy pepper of the arugula, and the slightly sour lemon make this risotto a winner. The risotto waves on your plate. Perfect for a dinner party, but also if you want to make an easy weeknight meal.
Delicious Arugula Risotto Recipe with Lemon Zest and Parmesan Cheese
Imagine a warm, steaming plate with creamy risotto, fried shrimp, a light lemon flavor, and a hint of pepper from the arugula. Refined, tasty, and easy to make.
But I'll be honest: until recently, I had a love-hate relationship with it. If the risotto is made well, I can enjoy it, but you can also easily overcook it. And that has happened to me in a busy household.
But I found an easy way to make sure my risotto is foolproof. Adjusting the pan for the risotto (yes, it can be that easy) and using a good kitchen timer (my own experience) is one of the easiest meals I know. And since I've adapted this, I have been completely sold and made many risottos.
Like a delicious risotto with chicken and spinach, autumnal risotto with creamy mushrooms, and an elegant risotto with zucchini and cod.
What do you need for Pan-Seared Shrimp Risotto?
You require the following ingredients to prepare this Arugula Risotto Recipe with Lemon Zest and Parmesan Cheese. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Arborio rice:Â You require a rice that contains a lot of starch. This allows them to absorb a lot of moisture, which gives extra flavor and makes the rice creamy. Arborio rice is the best known and available in most supermarkets. You can also choose Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice. These types of rice also contain a lot of starch (and are even better in quality compared to the Arborio types).
- White wine: Use a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. The alcohol evaporates by cooking the sauce. If you prefer not to use wine, replace it with ½ cup (120 ml) of stock.
- Chicken stock:Â Make it from a cube or, even better, use homemade chicken stock.
- Butter and olive oil:Â The butter makes the risotto creamy. You use the olive oil to fry the shrimp until crispy.
- Prawns:Â Peeled and washed large shrimp are already cooked and immediately edible. They are creamy, firm, and a little sweet.
- Lemon zest: For a fruity, fresh citrus taste.
- Parmesan cheese:Â A delicious salty cheese from Italian cuisine that melts wonderfully.
- Arugula:Â Wonderfully peppery, and it provides a bite. Arugula is a type of lettuce, and the disadvantage is that it wilts quickly. That's why you only add the vegetables at the last minute. This keeps it wonderfully crispy.
How to prepare Risotto with Arugula and Lemony Shrimp
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Fry the onion and the risotto rice.
- Add the white wine.
- After that, add the stock, half a cup at a time. Once you have added new liquid, stir well and only add the next ladle when the previous one has almost been absorbed. Cook until the rice is creamy, but still has a bite. Turn off the heat.
- In the meantime, fry the shrimp briefly in the frying pan until they are warm. Add the fried shrimp, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and extra butter to the risotto. Mix well and let stand for another two minutes. Divide the arugula over the risotto and serve immediately.
Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Risotto is made from Arboria rice (generally readily available), Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano (available at Italian delicacies). The starch in this rice provides a creamy sauce.
- If you want a creamy risotto, make sure that when you add the risotto to the shallot, stir everything well so that every grain is coated with butter. This provides a creamy taste. Fry the rice, which gives the rice a roasted, nutty flavor.
- You don't want an overcooked risotto, so add the wine and stock one ladle at a time.
- Because you prepare the risotto on the stove until just done, let it continue to cook further. This ensures that your risotto is cooked to precisely the right degree when serving.Â
- Stir (or not?): Many recipes recommend continuing to stir the risotto, but there's a tip that means you don't have to. You stir to bring the liquid and the risotto into contact. This happens automatically when you use a wide pan (or frying pan). Then, stir it occasionally.
- The broth temperature:Â It doesn't matter for the result! When you add warm stock, it no longer needs to be heated, and your risotto will be ready faster. Adding cold stock will take a little longer because the stock must be heated up each time it is added. But both methods work!
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Arugula Risotto Recipe with Lemon Zest and Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot chopped finely
- 1¼ cups Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- â…” pound prawns peeled
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 oz. arugula
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the pan and fry the shallot for 2 minutes.3 tablespoons butter, 1 shallot
- Shake the rice in the pan and fry, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes.1¼ cups Arborio rice
- Pour the white wine into the pan and stir everything well.½ cup dry white wine
- Add the stock one tablespoon at a time. Add new stock (about ½ a cup) each time the previous stock has been absorbed. Then, stir the risotto well. This will take approximately 15 minutes. Taste whether the risotto is done (it may still have a slight bite).3 cups chicken stock
- After about 15 minutes cooking, lightly fry the pink shrimp in a hot skillet with one tablespoon of olive oil and warm them briefly.1 tablespoon olive oil, â…” pound prawns
- When the risotto is ready, stir the remaining butter, prawns, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and lemon zest into the risotto. If it is too dry, also add some extra stock.1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Heat until warm and turn off the heat. Let stand for 2 minutes.
- Now add the arugula to the pan, stir, and serve immediately!5 oz. arugula
Notes
- For a good risotto you need a rice that contains a lot of starch. This allows them to absorb a lot of moisture, which gives extra flavor and makes the rice creamy. Arborio rice is the best known and available in most supermarkets. You can also choose Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice.
- If you want a creamy risotto, make sure that when you add the risotto to the shallot, stir everything well so that every grain is coated with butter.
- This provides a creamy taste. Fry the rice, which gives the rice a roasted, nutty flavor.
- Make it with a cube or, even better, use homemade chicken stock.
- You can add the stock hot or cold, depending on your preference. The risotto is ready a little faster if you use warm stock because it does not have to heat up in between.
- You don't want an overcooked risotto, so add the wine and stock one ladle at a time.
- Because you prepare the risotto on the stove until it's still a bit hard, let it stand for 2 minutes to cook a bit further. This ensures that your risotto is cooked to precisely the right degree when serving.
- Stir (or not?): Many recipes recommend continuing to stir the risotto, but there's a tip that means you don't have to. You stir to bring the liquid and the risotto into contact. This happens automatically when you use a wide pan (or frying pan). Then, stir it occasionally.
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