Fresh Lemon Rosemary Risotto (No Heavy Cream)

This lemon rosemary risotto is comforting, creamy, and divinely fresh. The subtle notes of rosemary paired with a squeeze of lemon juice create a classic flavor pairing that is not just comfort in a bowl but also an inexpensive meal that is easy to whip up. 

Risotto is one of those dishes that uniquely have a fancy quality about them yet traditionally speaking is a peasant dish. Any time I mention making it, I get an impressed face staring back at me. However, the big secret is, risotto is quite simple to make.

I have two major tips for risotto. One, heat the stock and have it within your reach to begin ladling it in as you would never want to add cold stock to risotto rice. Two, to get the creamy consistency that risotto is known for, you will need to do a little mindless repetitive activity to achieve a creamy risotto. That is, you will need to stir it consistently throughout the cooking process as the last thing you would ever want to do is add the stock all at once and allow it to simmer on its own. I am sure it will be cooked, but it won’t be great.

Most risottos are budget-friendly but this one in particular is very much so and that is why it is on my list of budget meals for fall. With having said that, let’s get a pot ready for one of the tastiest risottos to make year-round. 

Lemon Rosemary Risotto Is…

• A creamy lemon risotto with a hint of fresh rosemary.
• Easily one of my favorite dishes to make this time of year.
• Total comfort food that only requires a little patience.
• A great go-to recipe for easy weeknight meals.
• A risotto that takes very little ingredients to make. 

Ingredients

Rice- you can use Arborio rice or if you cannot find it, Calrose rice is a great alternative. 

Rosemary- I like to use fresh rosemary sprigs over dried for this. Dried tends to overwhelm whereas the piney notes of fresh. give a good balance to the lemon in this risotto. 

Lemon- use a large lemon, for both the lemon zest and juice. Use preferably Lisbon or a tart variety. I would not suggest a Meyer lemon for this dish. 

Stock- one of the most important aspects of a good risotto. Use a good quality vegetable stock but you can also use vegetable broth. I like to use my homemade vegetable stock for this. 

Onion- you can use any onion you like. I prefer a yellow or white onion for this but red onion is fine. Use what you have on hand. 

Parmesan Cheese- adding a dash of freshly grated parmesan cheese not only adds a nice touch but a bit of flavor.

Butter-  I like to finish the risotto with salted butter but unsalted is fine too. 

Oil- I use extra virgin olive oil but pure olive oil or avocado oil work. This is used to make the risotto and is great to drizzle on when serving.

Seasoning- I use sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper but standard salt and pepper will work fine here.

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Tools

Large Pan or Dutch Oven

Saucepan

Directions

Heat the stock in a large saucepan on the side. Dice onion into bite-size pieces. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot with a good coating of olive oil over medium heat. Begin sautéing the onion. Add a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. Chop the rosemary, remove any stem, and add it to the cooking onion.

When the onions have become translucent pour in the rice. Stir the rice around the pot and then add a 1/2 cup of the hot stock stirring it in until the rice absorbs it. Add another 1/2 cup of stock and continue stirring the rice. Continue adding in a 1/2 cup of stock at a time and stirring the rice until it absorbs before adding more. Do this until the rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Grate the lemon over the pot and add the juice. Stir in the butter and taste.  Add any additional salt or pepper needed. Spoon the mixture into the serving bowls garnish with fresh parmesan cheese and drizzle a splash of olive oil. 

Cooking Notes

• Be careful not to ladle in too much stock at once. The rice needs to slowly absorb the liquid as it cooks. 
• This dish is easily made vegan-friendly by omitting the butter and parmesan. 
• Risotto has an al dente texture when it is ready. So. don’t continue cooking it past this point otherwise you can end up with mushy risotto. 

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!