What Goes With Risotto? 16 Ideas: Meat And Vegetables

Risotto is one of the classics of Italian cuisine. The delicious risotto rice is a versatile and tasty accompaniment, whether in a salad, as an accompaniment to meat or fish, or as a solo artist, refined with spices and selected ingredients.

An Italian classic

Risotto is an integral part of Italian cuisine and therefore also of Germany. The preparation is simple and can be done with just a few ingredients. But it can be so varied and combined in different ways than with almost any other dish. The rice, which mainly comes from the Po Valley in northern Italy, is a real all-rounder.

The base

To make risotto you need risotto rice. This is particularly starchy and releases it during cooking. This creates the typical sloppy and creamy consistency. The rice grains should still be firm to the bite. Well-known rice varieties include Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone. Find out which rice you like best from the various suppliers.

The preparation

The main ingredients are always the same. Risotto rice, broth, onions, parmesan, and butter.

1. First, you chop the onions and sauté them together with the rice in a little oil. This is how the rice grains release and release starch.
2. You can use white wine to deglaze. However, this is not absolutely necessary.
3. You keep adding broth. Depending on the grain size, it takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
4. Your risotto rice should be creamy, thick, and flaky on the outside, but firm to the bite on the inside.
5. Now add butter and parmesan and season with salt and pepper. You can also use another hard Italian cheese.

Variations galore

You have an unimaginable variety of possible combinations at your disposal, be it with vegetables, meat, or fish or with fine spices and aromas. You can really let off steam and find the perfect result for your palate and your taste.

Salad

Hardly any food can be used in a more diverse way than risotto. Pair it with tomatoes, beans, zucchini, or ham.

1. Prepare the risotto rice.
2. Now you cut a pretzel into slices and mix them with two tablespoons of oil and season with pepper. In the meantime, heat the oven to 175°C and bake the pretzels for six to eight minutes. Then you let everything cool down.
3. You clean two hearts of romaine lettuce and wash 400 g of cherry tomatoes. Fry the salad in a pan with two tablespoons of oil, then fry the cherry tomatoes for three to four minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and let everything caramelize. Then deglaze the tomatoes with a little balsamic vinegar and let everything simmer for a while.
4. Mix everything together and shave some Parmesan on top.

Vegetables

Pumpkin, zucchini, peppers, peas, or leeks, there is no vegetable that does not go well with it.

1. Prepare the risotto according to the basic recipe. Meanwhile, cut the peppers, leeks, and carrots into small pieces.
2. Fry the vegetables in a tablespoon of oil in a pan or wok for 3 minutes, depending on the vegetables, and then mix with the risotto.
3. Season everything well with salt and pepper and cook everything again for 5 minutes.
4. Now stir in the butter and parmesan.

In the asparagus season, you don’t have to do without risotto. Try our asparagus risotto.

Meat

Again, the possibilities are unlimited. A glazed pork fillet goes well with it, as does a deliciously seasoned chicken. Strips of beef fillet or, with the well-known Risi-Bisi, simply diced bacon are also possible.

1. Prepare the rice as described.
2. Meanwhile, cut the ham into strips, pluck off a few basil leaves and coarsely grate the parmesan.
3. At the end of the cooking time of the risotto, add frozen peas for four to five minutes and let them simmer. Then you add the ham and the parmesan and briefly heat everything again.
4. Now season everything with salt and pepper and mix in the basil leaves.

Tip: You can also use pancetta, i.e. air-dried bacon, instead of ham. Another option is to serve the vegetable risotto with meat.

Fish

Cod, salmon, or squid, just go with your taste and find the perfect sea creature for your risotto.

1. Prepare the risotto rice according to the basic recipe and add some lemon juice.
2. In the meantime, you can dice the salmon, season with salt, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Fry the salmon cubes in a pan. But make sure they aren’t quite done yet.
4. When the risotto rice is almost done, you simply add the salmon cubes and let everything cook for another two to three minutes.
5. Now add the butter and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Finally, add some grated lemon zest. Take the pot off the stove and let it sit covered for another five minutes.