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!
Pistachio & Parmesan Risotto with Brown Butter Scallops
Notes
This recipe is perfect for a quick and delicious date night!
Ingredients
- For the Risotto:
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1/2 cup pistachios, crushed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- •
- For the Scallops:
- 1 lb Scallops
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- First, bring your chicken broth to a simmer in a saucepan and leave it on a low simmer. Put a medium frying over medium high heat, add olive oil, diced shallot, and crushed pistachios. Add salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and cook it down.
- Add your rice and toast it for 2-3 minutes. Then, add in the wine and cook it off stirring the mixture occasionally.
- Then, slowly add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and cook it off in one batch at a time until you have added all of it. This may take 5 rounds. It should take roughly 22 minutes to do all rounds of this. If it seems that it is going too slow, turn the heat up. If it is cooking off too fast, turn the heat down slightly.
- While your rice is cooking, heat another frying pan over medium high heat. Melt your butter for your scallops in the pan. Brown the butter for your scallops. This usually takes 2-3 minutes. Do not let it over brown because it will become bitter. Pat your scallops dry and sprinkle your salt and pepper on them. Add them to the pan with the browned butter and do not disturb them for 3 minutes. While the scallops are cooking, spoon the butter over the top of them. After 3 minutes, flip the scallops over and cook again for 3 more minutes. Continue spooning the butter over the top of them.
- Once you have cooked all the liquid off the risotto and the rice is cooked, take it off the heat and fold in the parmesan cheese.
- On a plate, scoop about a cup of risotto and top with 3 cooked scallops. Serve while hot!
Nutrition Facts
Pistachio & Parmesan Risotto with Brown Butter Scallops
Serves: 4
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 cup & 3 Scallops
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 563 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 22.9 g | 33.8% | |
| Saturated Fat 8.6 g | 40% | |
| Trans Fat 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol 78.3 mg | 26% | |
| Sodium 626.8 mg | 26.1% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 44.2 g | 14.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 1.6 g | 4% | |
| Sugars 3 g | ||
| Protein 32.2 g | ||
| Vitamin A 106.1% | Vitamin C 5.1% | |
| Calcium 113.2% | Iron 7.5% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Muddled and Minced
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