Cherry Parmesan Risotto

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Mmmmm cherries!  They really are a versatile fruit and to prove that I am sharing a savory cherry dish.  Speaking of versatility, this risotto is great as a side dish or an entree and can also be made vegetarian!  The cherries also give the risotto a lovely pinky purple color, which is a nice bonus.

Let’s get to it!

You’ll start by heating the stock in a small pot.  Using hot stock will help the risotto cook evenly.  If you want to make this vegetarian, you can swap the chicken for veggie stock.

Now heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan (lots of mediums here, he he).

Add the cherries, onion and salt.

You’ll cook this until the onions are soft and the cherries have released some of their juices.

Now add the Arborio rice.  You should be able to find this rice with other rice at your local grocery store or in the Italian aisle.  It is smaller and more starchy than white or long-grain rice, and that extra starch is what gives risotto it’s lovely creamy texture.

Cook the rice with the cherries and onions for about a minute.  You’re just infusing the rice with flavor.

Now ladle in about half a cup of the hot stock.  Stir the rice occasionally until the stock is absorbed and add another 1/2 cup.

Continue to do this until the rice is creamy and soft.  It’ll take about 20 minutes.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and take it off the heat.

This recipe makes 2 hearty servings or 4-6 side dish servings. Top with more Parmesan cheese before serving and enjoy!

I love the color of this dish and how well the salty Parmesan pairs with the tamed sweetness of the cooked cherries.  Then the onions come in and help round things out.

We ate this with a smoky red Spanish Tempranillo wine and it was a wonderful pairing!  I bet it would also go well with a Pinot Noir.