Red wine gives flavor and a luxurious color to rich and creamy risotto. You don’t have to use an expensive bottle of wine to make a sumptuous dish. As long as the red wine’s taste is to your liking then it will make an excellent ingredient. It is best to stick with dry red wine, however, rather than sweet reds that are too fruity.

To make a perfect risotto, probably the most important consideration is the type you of rice you are using. Only use Italian short-grain rice like Arborio, Carnaroli, Nano, and Baldo. These kinds of rice have a high starch content and absorbs less liquid, resulting in a creamy but not mushy risotto that is wonderfully sticky and compact. Arborio is one of the most popular kinds of risotto rice. It is pearly, round medium grain with an outer coating that contains the highest starch level of any variety, resulting in luxuriously creamy risotto. Carnaroli is a high-end variety, often considered as the caviar of rice. It is the variety used in many professional kitchens and the rice of choice of professional chefs for making risotto. Vialone Nano is another popular variety that is grown in the Veneto region of Italy. It is small, fine and pearly and produces less sticky results.

Unlike regular rice, you should never wash the risotto rice before cooking. The starch is an important component in the cooking of risotto and is what makes it creamy. Also, unlike cooking ordinary rice where you can simply leave it to cook, you need to pay special attention when cooking risotto. The broth is added one ladleful at a time until the rice absorbs it and gradually cooks. When adding the broth, it should be simmering and not cold or at room temperature or this will disrupt the cooking of the rice. http://www.gourmandia.net/recipes/browse-all-recipes/side-dishes/page9Get easy home cooking recipes here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic - crushed
1 1/2 cups well washed Italian risotto rice
Salt to taste
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2/3 cup red wine
1 tomato - finely chopped
1 cup parmesan, parmigiano- reggiano cheese, grated - finely grated

Pour oil into a large saucepan and heat over a medium flame. Add onions and cook until tender. Then add crushed garlic and cook until transparent. Mix in rice and salt, stirring to mix the rice well.

Add vegetable stock along with the wine. Stir and cook until rice absorbs the liquid and is well cooked. Rice will form a creamy mixture in about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in cheese and serve with tomato and sprinkled over it.