Pesto shrimp with risotto is rich, creamy, and full of flavor. This meal is special enough for date night, yet also quick and easy.
Shrimp and risotto just seem to go together. Shrimp, mushroom risotto, along with a green vegetable is one of my favorite dinners. The flavors go well together. Shrimp cook very quickly, which makes it an ideal partner for risotto, as it needs a little attention during the cooking process.
Elements
Butter: Used to sauté the onions and coat the rice. Butter gives the risotto a rich flavor.
Onion: Yellow, white, or red onions are all fine. Just use whatever you have. We always have red onions in the house.
Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice used to make risotto. It has a higher starch content compared to standard long-grain rice and becomes creamy and chewy when cooked.
Chicken Stock: The Arborio rice is cooked in chicken stock.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes add great color and flavor to the dish.
Raw Shrimp: Be sure to use raw shrimp rather than cooked shrimp. The shrimp absorb all the wonderful flavor as they cook in the risotto.
Pesto: The bright, fresh flavor of basil pesto is perfect alongside the delicate flavors of shrimp and risotto.
Sour Cream: A touch of sour cream makes the dish extra creamy and indulgent.
Salt & Black Pepper: Enhances all the flavor.
Preparation
I start by warming the chicken stock. Risotto is made by slowly adding stock to Arborio rice during the cooking process. Heat the stock to a gentle simmer then turn it down to low heat to keep the stock warm. Using warm stock helps coax the starch from the rice to make it creamy.
I have a large nonstick skillet I like for risotto. You want a skillet with a wide base for an adequate cooking surface.
Over medium to low, heat the butter and sauté the onion. When the onion is softened, stir in the rice until it is lightly coated with butter. Add about a quarter of a cup of the warm chicken stock to the skillet. (I use a gravy ladle to add the stock to the risotto.) Stir and let the rice absorb and stock. When the stock is absorbed, add more. Repeat this process as the rice cooks. I typically end up using all the stock.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes about 15 minutes into the cooking process to allow them to soften. After 20 minutes add the shrimp and cover the dish for another five minutes. The shrimp will curl and turn opaque as it cooks.
Stir in the pesto and sour cream, and season with salt and pepper.
Plate your pesto risotto with shrimp immediately and enjoy!
Pesto Risotto with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup Arborio rice
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock heated
- 2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 14 large raw shrimp peeled and deveined if needed
- 2 Tbsp basil pesto
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chicken stock to a small saucepan and heat until simmering. Turn down to low to keep warm.
- Melt the butter in large skillet over medium heat. I like my non-stick skillet for risotto. Sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Stir in the rice.
- Add a ladle of chicken stock to the skillet and stir. Stir and allow the stock to be absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process until the risotto is al dente (just slightly firm) about 20 minutes. Add sun dried tomatoes 15 minutes into the rice cooking process.
- Turn the heat down to low. Stir in the shrimp, and cover for 5 minutes so the risotto and shrimp can finish cooking together.
- After 5 minutes, stir in the pesto and sour cream. Allow to mixture to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.