Josh surprisingly wasn't impressed. I think it was too bland for him.
Makes 1 cup
Bring to the boiling point, then simmer uncovered, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Top, if desired, with buttered bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.
For veggies I use peas, since that's always what my mom used. And I used milk because I never have cream on hand. And that whole breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese deal? Nope. We serve it over toast instead.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.
Thread shrimp onto skewers and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and cut each into 3 or 4 pieces. Set aside.
While the shrimp is grilling, cook angel hair pasta until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain but do not rinse.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it just starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, the grilled shrimp and cooked linguine; cook, tossing, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, mix in the basil and season with pepper. Top with Parmesan, if using, and serve.
Preparing the Rice
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Melt the butter in a 4-to-5-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly.
Add the onion and cook, continuing to stir, until it turns soft and translucent. Turn the heat down if the onion starts to brown.
Meanwhile, pour the chicken broth into a separate saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this simmer the whole time you are preparing the risotto.
Once the onion is soft, add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary -- if the rice is cooked at too high a heat, it will turn brown and take on an undesirable flavor.
Adding the Liquid to the Rice
Using a ladle, scoop up about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of broth. Pour it in the pan with the rice, stirring constantly with a spoon. After the first addition of broth, the rice mixture will look a bit soupy.
As the rice begins to cook, stir it constantly, making sure that you scrape along the bottom of the pan so that it does not stick. You should see little bubbles popping up on the liquid from time to time. If it bubbles more vigorously than this, turn the heat down to medium-low.
When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the rice begins to look a bit dry, add another ladle of broth to the pan and stir constantly, as before.
Determining When the Risotto Is Cooked
Continue to add the broth in 1/2-to-3/4-cup batches and stir the rice until you have used most of the broth (this will probably take about 20 minutes). It is now time to test whether the risotto is cooked. Spoon up a grain of rice and bite into it -- it should be tender without being too mushy. If it is still crunchy and tastes a bit starchy, you will need to continue adding liquid and cooking further.
If it looks as if you will run out of chicken broth and your rice is still not cooked, don't be alarmed. Because of variations in individual stoves and cooking temperatures, you may need more liquid than called for in the recipe. Simply heat up another cup or 2 of chicken broth. If you run out of broth, use hot water.
When the rice is tender and the risotto has a creamy consistency, almost like thick oatmeal, it is done.
Serving the Risotto
Add salt and pepper to the risotto, about 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until it seems well seasoned to you. Stir.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir well.
Serve the risotto immediately in warm bowls and have extra grated Parmesan on hand.
**from the foodnetwork.com
