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Looking at risotto recipes may be intimidating, but once you actually make it, you will see how EASY it really is! And this easy Risotto alla Vodka is the perfect easy risotto recipe to make for your first time. If you’re making a quick weekday meal it’s also a great option because it comes together in a little over half an hour, it’s just one pot so the cleanup is a breeze and it’s family-approved!
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Why You’ll Love Risotto alla Vodka
This easy Risotto alla Vodka is quick and delicious. It is creamy, cozy, tomato goodness in a bowl. The parmesan, butter and mascarpone take this flavorful sauce and elevate it so much. This risotto recipe is so comforting and still so elegant and such a classic.
Prep Like a Pro
Choose the Right Rice – Vialone nano and carnaroli rice are ideal because they hold their shape and release the right amount of starch to get that signature creamy texture in risotto. If you can’t find these, arborio is the most commonly used risotto rice and is easier to find. Just don’t swap these for regular rice because they don’t hold up.
Warm your Broth – Your broth should be warm for the rice to absorb it correctly. Add your broth to a small pot on another burner and let it lightly simmer. Using a ladle, scoop about 1 cup at a time into the risotto, let it absorb almost fully (fully absorbed may burn the rice), and repeat.
Chili Garlic Paste – Don’t skip the salt to make your chili garlic paste. The salt is abrasive which helps make the paste.
Off the Heat – After adding the parm and mascarpone, turn the heat off immediately and then add your butter. You don’t want to heat these ingredients or it can break the sauce.
Reheat Later – If you want to heat this risotto alla vodka back up later, gently reheat on the stove and add a splash more broth or water, you want the creamy consistency you had the first time you made this recipe.
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
- To keep your chicken broth warm, you can put it in a small pot on another burner and leave it at a light simmer. Using a ladle, scoop about 1 cup at a time into the risotto alla vodka, let it absorb almost fully (fully absorbed may burn the rice) and repeat.
- If you want to heat this back up later, gently reheat it on the stove and add a splash more broth or water till it is back at that creamy consistency.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- Vialone Nano/Carnaroli Rice → Arborio is the most commonly used risotto rice and easier to find. Just don’t swap these for regular rice because they don’t hold up.
- Chicken Broth → To make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth.
- Vodka → If you need this to be alcohol-free, use a squeeze of lemon or omit it. Honestly, you have so many other wonderful flavors going on that you don’t have to use the vodka.
- Variations
- Vegetarian Option → Swap your chicken broth for a vegetable broth and that’s all you need to do to make this a vegetarian dish.
- Extra Spicy → Pick a hotter chili and drizzle with salsa macha or chili oil at the end.
- Protein Variation → Chicken or shrimp go great mixed in if you want this to be more filling. You can mix it in or serve it on the side.
- Vegetable Pop → Pick your vegetable – eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus, peas or spinach. Pick one or a few, sauté them and add them to the risotto alla vodka when you add the butter for some extra vitamins.
The Perfect Pairings
A great drink to have with Risotto alla Vodka is a Tinto de Verano. Risotto goes beautifully with a side salad and Toasted Ciabatta, or not toasted, whatever your preference. Berry Panna Cotta is a delicious Italian dessert that would end this menu perfectly.
Cocktail Hour
Tinto de Verano Recipe
Sides
Arugula Fennel Salad
Butters
Toasted Ciabatta
Desserts
Berry Panna Cotta
Risotto alla Vodka: Questions Answered
Risotto is best served fresh, right off the stove. If you do have to, you can reheat it later gently on the stove, adding splashes of broth or water till it gets back to the right consistency.
No, risotto does not freeze well. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. You can also turn them into arancini (crispy rice balls) and use them for another dinner.
The things you will need to swap are the chicken broth (vegetable), butter (plant-based), mascarpone (cashew cream), parm (just use a vegan parm), and check your tomato paste (usually fine but make sure). And that’s it. For vegetarians, you just need to swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Risotto alla Vodka
Equipment
- Saucier
- spoon
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, small chop
- 2 shallots, brunoise
- 1 drizzle olive oil, + more for topping.
- 1 cup vialone nano, or carnaroli rice
- 1 fresno chile
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 pinch salt
- 2½ tbsp tomato paste
- ⅓ cup crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth, warmed
- ¼ vodka
- ½ cup parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated + more for topping
- ⅓ cup mascarpone, + more for topping
- 3 tbsp butter
- basil leaves, for topping
- salt and pepper, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your saucier for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, the chopped onions and shallots. Sauté until translucent.
- Add the rice and toast for more 3 minutes.
- On a cutting board, chop the fresno and garlic very small and sprinkle with some salt. Using the flat side of your knife, press and drag across the chilis and garlic to create a paste.
- Mix in the chili garlic paste and tomato paste to the toasted rice and cook together for 3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and deglaze with vodka. Cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of chicken stock and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the broth. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to almost completely absorb each time. This will take 15-17 minutes.
- Once you finish the 4 cups, taste to make sure the pasta is tender, but al dente. If you need to, add more liquid ¼ cup at a time.
- Mix in the parm and mascarpone. Turn off the heat off and butter.
- Top with mascarpone, basil, parm, olive oil and black pepper.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
