It’s the first day of a delicious forever! Italian Wedding Risotto is writing the most beautiful love story. From the first moment you scooped up a bite of this heartier, savory take on Italian wedding soup, you knew it was going to be the one you’d spend many of your future dinners with. It’s just so perfect! From the tender Arborio rice that soaks up all that salty, buttery broth, to the juicy, meaty meatballs, you won’t be able to think about any other dish. So, big cheers to a lifetime full of love, laughter, and Italian Wedding Risotto!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup panko
- 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, packed and torn
- dried parsley, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Adjust an oven rack 9 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to broil.
Step 2 –Line a broiler-safe baking sheet with foil.
Step 3 –In a medium bowl, combine the pork, the panko, 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the fresh parsley, the egg, 2 teaspoons of the garlic, the salt, and the pepper and mix gently with your hands until it is just combined.
Step 4 –Roll the pork mixture into 20 meatballs, equal to about 2 tablespoons each.
Step 5 –Place the meatballs, 1-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 6 –Broil the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F and are browned, about 6-9 minutes.
Step 7 –Transfer the baking sheet from the oven and set it aside.
Step 8 –In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the chicken stock and the water and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 9 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Step 10 –Add the onion, the celery, and the remaining garlic to the butter mixture and cook, stirring often, until the veggies have softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 11 –Add the rice to the veggie mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 12 –Add the wine to the rice mixture, and cook, stirring often, until it has almost completely reduced, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 13 –Add 1 cup of the warm chicken stock mixture to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid has absorbed.
Step 14 –Add the remaining chicken stock mixture, 1 cup at a time, to the rice mixture and stir until the liquid has been absorbed after each addition.
Step 15 –Cook the risotto until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
Step 16 –Transfer the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining cheese and the remaining butter.
Step 17 –Stir the spinach into the risotto and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just wilted, about 30 seconds.
Step 18 –Add the meatballs to the risotto.
Step 19 –Serve the risotto sprinkled with the dried parsley.
