AI-generated illustration of pale Parmesan risotto with distinct rice grains and black pepper in a shallow bowl

Main course

Parmesan Risotto

Published 01 November 2026 · Updated 01 November 2026

Parmesan gives this pale risotto its nutty, savoury depth, carried through tender rice in a sauce made from stock and the grain’s own starch. Stirring in finely grated cheese and a little cold butter off the heat keeps the finish supple, without cream.

Not kitchen tested by The Black Farmer.
Serves 4
Prep 12 min
Cook 48 min
Total 62 min

Timing: Allow about 62 minutes: 12 minutes preparation, 48 minutes cooking and finishing, and 2 minutes covered rest. Preparation includes peeling, dicing, rind removal, grating, dividing butter and measuring, with no heating. Cooking includes 6 minutes liquid heating, 2 melting butter, 8 softening onion, 2 coating rice, 3 reducing wine, 24 incremental-stock cooking, 1 off-heat pause, 1 cheese incorporation and 1 final seasoning/serving. The final seasoning minute follows the rest. Optional water heating is concurrent within the same 6-minute liquid-heating stage, not another sequential task. Hot-liquid holding runs during subsequent stages and is not a separate wait. The first taste at 18 minutes is inside the 24-minute rice stage. These are untested planning allowances; slower heating, softening or grain cooking extends the total. Each liquid-heating or liquid-hold parallel group contains its main task and the simultaneous liquid task; its maximum duration is counted once, not summed. Holding during the two-minute covered rest is assigned to the rest phase and does not add cooking minutes.

Ingredients

  • Parmesan Reggiano (200g)

    Parmesan

    120g edible cheese, weighed without hard rind and finely grated; all incorporated into the rice

    Buy one 200g gross block. Weigh the required edible cheese after removing hard rind; the nominal 80g gross balance includes rind and is not a guaranteed edible leftover. No extra cheese garnish is required. Contains milk; vegetarian suitability is not established.

    £6.50

Adds 1 items across 1 products — £6.50 total.

Pantry ingredients such as oil, salt and herbs are not included.

Other Ingredients You'll Need

  • Risotto rice — 320g dry arborio rice, not rinsed (Use risotto rice, not ordinary long-grain or cooked rice.)
  • Onion — 100g peeled and trimmed onion, cut into roughly 3mm dice (Weigh 100g after peeling and trimming, then finely dice. Supplied from your own pantry.)
  • Butter (unsalted) — 50g, divided into 25g for softening the onion and 25g cold, cubed, for finishing (Measure 25g for the onion base and keep the other 25g chilled for finishing. Contains milk. Supplied from your own pantry.)
  • Dry white wine — 120ml dry white wine (Not cooking wine with added salt. May contain sulphites; check the label. No alcohol-free claim.)
  • Vegetable stock — 1,200ml prepared hot low-salt vegetable stock available: initially 1,000ml for cooking, with 200ml reserved for final cooking and loosening as needed (Prepare to the maker's dilution, not 1,200ml concentrate. The exact amount absorbed varies with rice and pan; unused stock is not part of the plated yield. Check for celery, wheat/gluten and other allergens.)
  • Water — Up to 300ml drinking water, heated in a separate saucepan alongside the stock, reserved only if more cooking liquid is needed (Contingency liquid, not an instruction to use the whole amount.)
  • Ground black pepper — 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, all for finishing
  • Fine salt — up to 1/4 tsp fine salt, only if needed after adding the Parmesan (Taste first: cheese and stock already contribute salt.)

Method

Set out and prepare

Allow 12 minutes with both hobs off. Use a heavy-based, wide 24–26cm saucepan or sauté pan of at least 3 litres, plus a smaller stock saucepan and lid. Peel and trim the onion, weigh 100g and cut into roughly 3mm dice. Remove hard rind from the Parmesan, weigh 120g edible cheese and finely grate it. Divide the butter into 25g for the pan and 25g cut into small cubes; keep the finishing portion chilled. Measure the dry risotto rice, wine, stock, water and seasonings. Do not rinse the rice: its surface starch helps the sauce.

Heat the cooking liquid

Allow about 6 minutes over medium-high heat to bring the prepared 1,200ml vegetable stock to a steaming, gentle simmer in the smaller saucepan. Heat the optional 300ml water separately in a small covered saucepan during the same 6 minutes if using the contingency supply; keep the vessels stable on separate rings. Reduce to the lowest heat and cover loosely to keep the liquids hot while the risotto cooks, not at a rolling boil that concentrates the stock. This holding overlaps the following hob stages; there is no separate waiting stage. Keep 200ml of the stock available for the final cooking and loosening rather than spending it all at the start.

Soften a pale onion base

Put the wide pan over medium-low heat and melt the first 25g butter for about 2 minutes, without browning it. Add the diced onion and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent with no crisp brown edges. Lower the heat if it starts to colour; the base should support the cheese rather than taste of browned butter.

Coat the grain and reduce the wine

Add all 320g dry risotto rice. Stir over medium heat for 2 minutes until the grains are hot and evenly coated, with slightly translucent edges. Pour in all 120ml dry white wine and simmer, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until there is no loose pool of wine when you draw the spoon through. Do not let the rice catch on the base.

Cook with small additions of stock

Allow about 24 minutes for the stock-cooking stage. Add about 200ml from the initial 1,000ml hot stock, then keep the rice at a steady, gentle bubbling simmer over medium-low to medium heat. Stir frequently, scraping across the base and into the corners, and add further 100–150ml portions when the previous liquid has mostly absorbed but the grains are still moist. Do not wait for a dry or sizzling pan. Begin tasting within this allowance after about 18 minutes. The grains should be swollen and tender with a slight firm centre, not a hard chalky core. Use the reserved 200ml stock as needed towards the end, keeping some back for loosening if possible. Pan evaporation and rice brands vary, so you may not need every drop. If all the stock is used before the grains are ready, add the optional hot water in small measured splashes and continue at the same gentle simmer until the centre is cooked. Extra simmering is additional to the 24-minute estimate; never stop at the clock with hard rice. Before finishing, the rice should sit in a loose, creamy liquid rather than a stiff mound.

Stop the heat before the cheese

Once the grain is ready, switch off the wide pan and move it to a cool hob position; allow 1 minute for vigorous bubbling to subside. Keep any reserved hot liquid available. This off-heat pause is part of the stated cooking allowance, not an omitted wait.

Incorporate the Parmesan

Over 1 minute, stir in all 120g finely grated Parmesan and the reserved 25g cold butter cubes until evenly dispersed through the rice, with no dry cheese pockets or separate pools of butter. Add a small splash of reserved hot stock, or the contingency hot water if needed, to keep it loose. Do not return the cheese mixture to a hard boil. Cover the pan and leave off the heat for 2 minutes.

Season and serve while flowing

Allow 1 minute to uncover, stir in all the ground black pepper and taste. Add only as much of the optional fine salt as needed. Loosen with reserved hot stock or contingency water, a spoonful at a time, until the risotto falls slowly from the spoon and spreads across a shallow bowl rather than standing in a heap; do not pour in all remaining liquid automatically. Divide between four bowls and serve immediately. This recipe is planned for freshly cooked service, not a cook-ahead or rice-storage method. Switch off the stock and water hobs.

Serving Suggestion

Serve as four main portions with a sharp rocket and lemon salad, or a small helping of Garlic Butter Kale alongside. Prepare accompaniments separately; their quantities and cooking are not included in this risotto’s timing or basket.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Parmesan stirred in off the heat?

Fine grating helps the cheese disperse through the starchy liquid. Let vigorous bubbling stop first, then stir in the cheese and cold finishing butter; hard boiling at this point can leave a greasy or clumped finish.

Do I have to use every drop of stock?

No. The recipe provides 1,200ml prepared stock, with 200ml reserved for the later cooking and finishing. Rice and evaporation differ: follow the tender-grain and flowing-texture cues. Optional hot water is a contingency if the stock runs out, not an extra quantity to pour in regardless.

Can I rinse the rice or use long-grain rice?

Use unrinsed arborio risotto rice here. Rinsing removes some of the surface starch needed for the sauce, while ordinary long-grain rice will not give the same grain texture and creamy liquid under this method.

How much of the cheese block goes into the pan?

Weigh 120g edible Parmesan after removing hard rind and stir all of it through the rice. The shopping block is 200g gross, so the 80g difference includes any rind and is not a guaranteed 80g edible leftover. The cheese is essential to the dish, not an optional garnish.

Should the finished risotto hold its shape?

It should spread slowly when spooned into a shallow bowl, with distinct tender grains in a loose sauce. After the covered rest, add small spoonfuls of reserved hot liquid if it has tightened. Serve straight away rather than cooking it until it stands in a firm mound.