A friend recently posted this link to one of the Pioneer Woman’s latest recipe’s. It was right up my alley so I jumped on making this Lemon Basil Shrimp Risotto. Many times I find shrimp served in less rich dishes, but I loved the creaminess of this version. She mentions that the size of shrimp you use is up to you. She used large ones and cut them up, I chose to grab a bag of smaller sized shrimp. We’ll leave that up to you! The rest is pretty straight forward. Let me prepare you in that it will require some patience as you continue to thicken and cook the risotto (as it does with all risotto), but it’s very much worth it. If you love shrimp…and risotto…and…you get the point, you’ll surely enjoy this!
I should also (sadly) mention that my kids were not a fan of this recipe. Crazy, I know. I tend to post dinner options that are family friendly since that’s what I am typically preparing, but this one they were just not into. They did their best to get through it, Jack eating all of the shrimp/steering clear of the lemon flavored risotto and Madelyn shuttering at the taste of the shrimp yet hauling through the risotto. I guess I could say that as a team they enjoyed it in it’s entirety ;)
Here’s the recipe via The Pioneer Woman:
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1-1/2 pound Shrimp (I Used U10 Size; Huge!)
- 1 whole Onion, Finely Diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 cups Arborio Rice
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 5 cups Vegetable Broth, Heated (give Or Take)
- 1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 18 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped Plus Extra For Serving
- Grated Parmesan Cheese For Sprinkling
Preparation Instructions
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook both sides until opaque in the middle, about 3 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and chop roughly. Set aside.
Return the skillet to the stovetop (do not wash it) and add the onion and garlic. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion starts to turn translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add dry Arborio rice to the pan and stir it around for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn it. Pour in wine and stir gently, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. After the wine is absorbed, begin adding warm broth 1/2 cup to 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to cook and absorb the liquid each time. Stir occasionally as you go, and add the salt and pepper during one of the broth additions. After 4 cups of broth have been absorbed, taste the rice. It should have a slight bite, but if it seems undercooked, add additional broth and cook it until it absorbs until the risotto is the perfect doneness.
Zest and juice the lemon and add both the zest and the juice to the risotto toward the end of cooking. Stir in the heavy cream, the basil, and serve immediately with extra lemon zest and Parmesan cheese on top.
