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"  The Italian rice dish risotto may sound fancy, but it&amp;#039;s actually great comfort food and something you can easily make at home (really!). It takes a little time and care, but anyone can do it, and making risotto can be a great way to slow down and unwind after a long day. Put on some good music or a podcast, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy the time you get to stir your risotto to perfection! Here is how to cook basic risotto: 1. High-starch, medium- or short-grain rice is perfect for making risotto. Arborio rice is commonly used and is a great option. 2. Use a large, deep skillet. 3. Begin by cooking chopped onion in butter or olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. About half an onion would work well. 4. While the onion is cooking, heat about 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock in a saucepan. Use low-sodium stock so that the risotto doesn&amp;#039;t get too salty as it cooks. Keep the stock warm over low heat throughout the cooking process. 5. Once onion is translucent, add 1 cup of risotto rice. You will &amp;quot;toast&amp;quot; it in the pan until the edges of the rice grains become translucent but the centers of the rice are still white. 6. Add about \u00BD cup of white wine at this point to de-glaze the pan. This isn&amp;#039;t necessary but it adds nice flavor! 7. Add the warmed stock to the risotto \u00BD cup at a time. Once the rice has absorbed the stock, add another \u00BD cup. Repeat the process until the risotto is al dente, firm to the bite but not crunchy. Stir frequently throughout the process. The texture of the dish overall will be porridge-like. You may or may not use all of the warmed stock \u2014 for 1 cup of rice you should need about 3-4 cups of stock. 8. Add whatever you like at this point! Parmesan cheese is always a good option. You can also add fresh garlic, herbs, butter, cooked veggies, meats \u2014 whatever strikes your fancy! Risotto is a great blank canvas for all kinds of flavors. Now that you&amp;#039;re a risotto-cooking machine, it&amp;#039;s time to kick it up a notch with some fabulous flavor variations.  1. Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto If maple and pumpkin go well together and maple and bacon go well together, then it goes without saying that maple, bacon, and pumpkin go really well together. Best love triangle to hit your plate EVER. Make Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto Yourself from Pineapple &amp;amp; Coconut  2. Bacon, Cheddar &amp;amp; Beer Risotto When you want a down and dirty risotto, just stick with bacon, cheddar, and beer and you are good to go. Make Bacon, Cheddar &amp;amp; Beer Risotto Yourself from Emily Bites  3. Chicken and Butternut Squash Risotto As if risotto needed to be creamier, this version with butternut squash takes it to a whole new level of creamy, comforting goodness. Make Chicken and Butternut Squash Risotto Yourself from This Week for Dinner  4. Red Wine Risotto Have your red wine and eat it, too. Make Red Wine Risotti Yourself from Wine and Glue  5. Caprese Risotto A fresh take on risotto, this caprese version featuring tomatoes and basil will make you feel like it&amp;#039;s summer any time of year. Make Caprese Risotto Yourself from Frugal Foodie Mama  6. Broccoli Cheddar Risotto If you thought broccoli cheddar soup was as comforting as it gets, well, you haven&amp;#039;t had broccoli cheddar risotto. Make Broccoli Cheddar Risotto Yourself from An Edible Mosaic  7. Green Risotto Green risotto is like the green smoothie of the rice world. Get your greens on. Make Green Risotto Yourself from Pass the Fresh  8. Creamy Mushroom Kale Risotto Mushrooms are always a great compliment to risotto, and the addition of kale gives your dinner a nice nutritious punch. Make Creamy Mushroom Kale Risotto Yourself from Food + Love  9. Slow Cooker Parmesan Risotto Guess what? You can prepare risotto in the slow cooker, making it even easier to cook! Make Slow Cooker Parmesan Risotto Yourself from Pass the Sushi  10. Shrimp and Feta Risotto Feta gives this risotto a different flavor twist. And, of course, shrimp is always welcome to the party. Make Shrimp and Feta Risotto Yourself from Taste, Love &amp;amp; Nourish  11. Spring is Sprung Risotto For when you just can&amp;#039;t take winter anymore, dig into this spring risotto. Make Spring is Sprung Risotto Yourself from Crumb  12. Lemony Asparagus Risotto Lemon is another great option for risotto, giving the rich creaminess a nice, bright flavor. Make Lemony Asparagus Risotto Yourself from Oh My Veggies Jane Maynard is a food blogger at This Week for Dinner and Babble, a writer and designer, and a lover of all things chocolate. Follow Jane on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. RELATED: 15 Ways To Make The Best Fried Rice Ever 20 Totally Un-Boring Ways to Cook Chicken Breasts "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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