The perfect date night meal! And it only takes 30 minutes to make this delicious meal! What a treat! First of all pistachios are my favorite nut! They add such depth of flavor to so many great dishes! They can be in sweet dishes, appetizers, or savory dishes! It’s really a nut you can add to anything. In risotto, it adds a crunch and a nice rich flavor. It pairs so well with the parmesan. Risotto is always considered a fancier dish and it seems like it would be so hard to do, but it is actually pretty simple! Risotto is one dish that I will make frequently in our household because it is easy to keep and it is simple to make! Plus it packs a ton of flavor with whatever you mix it with. If you want to try another risotto dish you can check out my Shiitake Mushroom Risotto! It is also one of our favorites.

Equipment for this Recipe:

• Saucepan
• Large Frying Pan
• Small Frying Pan
• Tongs
• Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients for this Recipe:

• Olive Oil
• Shallot
• Pistachios
• Salt
• Chicken Broth
• Dry White Wine
• Arborio Rice
• Butter
• Scallops

The secret to a delicious risotto:

The secret to a delicious risotto is honestly quite simple. The key is to try and cook it for exactly 22 minutes. Sounds easy right? But this can be the trickiest part so don’t be hard on yourself if yours takes longer than that. Mine typically takes anywhere from 23-24 minutes. The reason why it is important to get as close to 22 minutes as you can is because this is the ideal time that the starches are released from the rice and all of the liquid is cooked off, creating a creamy texture. Another big key for good risotto is to add a little liquid at a time. This help release the starch a little at a time and cook the liquid off a little bit better. If you are adding any cream or dairy to your risotto add that at the end, such as cheese. The best risotto is creamy and full of flavor!

Careful with the Scallops-

Scallops are super tricky if you aren’t careful, but they can be very easy if you take your time and sear them on high heat. First things first, I am using browned butter as my oil for this recipe. Feel free to switch that out for avocado oil or olive oil, but the browned butter adds incredible flavor. To brown butter, you need to watch it closely. Put the butter on the stove in a medium saucepan for about 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. While the butter is browning, pat the scallops completely dry (this is super important to ensure they get a nice sear). Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the scallops. Once the butter has browned, do not reduce the heat and add the scallops and do not disturb them for 3 minutes. While they are cooking, spoon the browned butter over the top of them. Then, flip them gently and cook them again for exactly 3 minutes. Continue spooning the browned butter over the top of them.

Don’t want the scallops?

If you want the risotto but a different protein, simply swap them out! This recipe would be delicious with seared tuna, steak, shrimp, or even chicken! Just skip step 4 of the recipe!