The first time I made risotto, I resolved to never make it again. I was pregnant in my first trimester with Gianna, and Pat and I were hosting a dinner at our place. I of course decided to make two dishes I had never made before, the aforementioned risotto and chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. The chicken I couldn’t stand to even look at the next day (so it goes with food during the first trimester….) and the risotto, well, that was just a pain to make. The recipe wasn’t hard, but the dish just took a lot of babysitting. I had to constantly watch it over the course of 30 minutes or so, adding broth one ladle-full at a time as the liquid got absorbed (which is typically how risotto is made). Not something I was thrilled to do again.

Fast forward a few years later, and my husband decided to request risotto, with shrimp (!), as a menu item for a party. I was not excited about the idea, but later decided to look up a few recipes. Low and behold, the highest rated online recipe for risotto with shrimp was also the easiest risotto recipe I have ever seen in my life. When I first read the recipe, I was so skeptical. There wasn’t any of this “gradual adding of broth” business, but instead, all of the broth gets simmered together with the rice at the same time. For less than15 minutes! Alright, I thought, easy, but probably not very tasty. I was wrong, it was awesome. Everyone loved it, and I’ve made it 3 times since then. I’ve also since filed it away as an easy weeknight dinner.

Without the shrimp and lemon, the risotto recipe itself is a blank canvas that I’m interested in exploring more. One of these days, I want to experiment with adding different ingredients to it, like different herbs, cheese, or mushrooms! Until then, here is the recipe I’ve been following. You’ve got to try it.

Lemony Risotto with Shrimp, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth
juice from half a lemon, about 2 tablespoons
zest of half a lemon
3 cups spinach, kale, or arugula

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot of dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through. Transfer the shrimp and their juices to a bowl and set to the side.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add the onions. Cook for about 5-6 minutes and then add the garlic, cook and stir 1 more minute. Add the rice, stir and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it’s absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to medium-low and let risotto simmer until the rice is tender and creamy, about 13-14 minutes.

Mix in the greens and let them wilt. Then, add the shrimp back in. That’s it, seriously.