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finished risotto cacio e pepe

Risotto Cacio e Pepe

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  • Author: Gianna Nebbia
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutess
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 as a side 1x
  • Category: side dishes
  • Method: risotto
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Cheese, peppery, creamy risotto with just 5 ingredients. An amazing gluten-free side dish you can eat all year long. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup of Risotto Rice 
  • 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • 1 tablespoon of butter 
  • 1 tablespoon of extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very low simmer. I also recommend boiling a parmesan rind in the water if you have one. This is optional. Keep covered until ready to use the water. 
  2. In a larger pot such as a 6 quart dutch oven or sauce pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the pepper and stir for 30 seconds, making sure you don't allow it to burn. Then add the risotto to the pepper and butter mixture and stir for 1 minute more. 
  3. Add 1 cup of the hot water to the risotto at a time, stirring frequently throughout. Each time the liquid fully evaporates, add more. 
  4. Start tasting the risotto once you've added about 4 cups of water. Some people like their rice more al dente. Other, like me, prefer it softer. Keep adding water and cooking until you're happy with the texture. Then turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmigiano. I typically stop after 5 cups of water and 25 minutes. 
  5. Spoon the risotto into a serving bowl, top with more black pepper, and enjoy your cheesy, peppery, creamy risotto!