Description
Brown butter and sage risotto is a rich, creamy dish featuring nutty browned butter, fragrant sage, and tender arborio rice. It’s an elegant, comforting recipe perfect on its own or elevated with seared scallops for a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, finely minced
- 15 fresh sage leaves, cut into thin ribbons
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, kept warm
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Optional topping:
- 12 large sea scallops
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Additional salt to taste
Instructions
- In a wide pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Stir continuously for 5–7 minutes until it turns golden brown and smells nutty.
- Add the shallot, garlic, sage, and salt. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the arborio rice and toast for 3–4 minutes until edges are translucent.
- Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Let simmer for 2–3 minutes until mostly evaporated.
- Add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of warm broth to cover the rice. Let simmer gently. When mostly absorbed, add more broth and repeat the process, stirring occasionally, for about 15–18 minutes.
- When the rice is tender but al dente, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Adjust salt as needed. The risotto should be loose and creamy. Serve immediately.
- For the scallops (optional), pat dry and season with salt. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear scallops for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Serve on top of the risotto.
Notes
- Use vegetable broth to make the risotto vegetarian.
- For extra richness, stir in an additional tablespoon of butter at the end.
- Add sautéed mushrooms or greens for variation.
- Fresh thyme or rosemary can replace sage.
- Cook scallops during the final 5–7 minutes of the risotto for perfect timing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 of recipe (without scallops)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 53g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
