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You won’t believe how easy it is to make Champagne Risotto with this simple recipe. This wonderful rice recipe provides you with a creamy, flavorful risotto. It’s the only risotto recipe you need!
Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish usually made with Arborio rice. This short-grained rice is cooked with broth and stirred until creamy and tender. Cooking the rice slowly allows the rice to release its starches which creates a rich, velvety sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
- One of my favorite dishes happens to be risotto. At its simplest, risotto is a hearty, comforting rice dish where the rice is cooked in broth until its creamy.
- Risotto is such a versatile dish, any number of ingredients can be used to enhance the flavor.
- It has a reputation for being fussy, and while risotto does take a little time to cook and does require stirring the ingredients in the pan, this easy risotto actually takes no longer than about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Mushrooms: I like to use shiitake, Crimini or baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered. If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to leave them out.
- Shallot and garlic: Finely chopped shallot and garlic add quite a lot of flavor to this risotto, definitely don’t leave them out.
- Butter: Use salted butter.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this risotto recipe as well as in every other recipe on ZagLeft that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Chicken broth: I use low sodium chicken broth in my recipe. Feel free to use vegetable broth to make a vegetarian risotto.
- Rice: Use Arborio rice, it’s the best rice for making risotto.
- Champagne: I prefer using Champagne. Feel free to use a dry white wine in this recipe.
- Salt and pepper: For flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: Helps make the risotto extra creamy and delicious!
How To Make This Recipe
- Sliced mushrooms, chopped shallot and garlic are softened in butter and olive oil in a large deep sided pan.
- Rice is added to the pan where it absorbs the butter and oil and “toasts” in the pan.
- Add in a little Champagne, then add warmed broth to the pan, a little at a time, stirring until the liquid has absorbed into the rice. This process is continued until the rice is completely cooked and the risotto is creamy.
- Parmesan cheese and butter finish off the process.
Expert Tips
- You need to be sure to have all of your ingredients handy. When you’re in the middle of making risotto, it is not the time to search for an ingredient.
- The most popular rice to use here in the US is Arborio because it’s easily available. This is what I use.
- Eat the risotto as soon as it’s cooked. Letting the risotto sit out will make it lose its creaminess.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Serve With Risotto?
A big bowl risotto makes the perfect meal, but you might like to serve it along with any of these wonderful dishes:
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Butternut Squash
What Should I Do With Leftover Champagne?
I wouldn’t suggest you open a bottle of champagne simply for this recipe. Use a bit of the champagne in the risotto, then pour and enjoy the rest! Leftover champagne can also be used in refreshing Limoncello Champagne Aperitifs.
You may also use a dry white wine in this recipe. Use a wine you enjoy drinking.
If you’re looking for a single serving Risotto, you can find that recipe as well as many other single serving recipes by visiting our One Dish Kitchen site.
Enjoy!
Champagne Risotto
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5-6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 8 oz Champagne or sparkling wine
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large deep sided pan over a medium-low heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the shallot and the garlic and cook for another two minutes.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In another medium sized saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
- Stir the rice into the mushroom mixture and let the oils coat the grains. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.
- Add the Champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.
- Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, about 30 minutes. (You many not need to add the additional cup of broth)
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the remaining butter, parmesan cheese and salt to taste.
I love champagne risotto – it is such a fun and festive dish this time of year!
This looks fabulous!!! I love adding champagne to a savory dish!
Thank you Kellie!
This looks creamy and delicious. My husband has been asking me to make him a risotto since we had it in Vegas back in June. This sounds easy enough that even I could make it. Thank you for sharing.
You can never go wrong with risotto – especially pairs with short ribs! That sounds like an excellent date night.
This recipe sounds divine! Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to both eat and make, but I’ve never thought of putting champagne it it! Great idea, looking forward to trying this one.
I love that you used champagne in the risotto! So fun 🙂