Risotto Marinara is an Italian classic with creamy tomato risotto brimming with shrimp and scallops. Like any good risotto, some time and patience are required, but it’s a very easy, uncomplicated recipe. And the delicious result is worth every minute spent.
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Risotto is a delicious dish made with starchy, short-grained rice like Arborio rice or Carnaroli rice. The creamy texture of risotto can be the vehicle for many flavors, one example being our favorite mushroom pea risotto.
This recipe for Risotto marinara, or Risotto alla marinara, is a seafood risotto dish with a tomato flavor base.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy: Yes, cooking risotto takes a little hands-on time, but it is very easy to make this delicious one-pan meal.
- Fancy: Seafood risotto is elegant enough for a date night or dinner party, and simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
- Customizable: You can use any find of seafood for this easy risotto recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil /Butter: You can use olive oil alone, but I like the extra touch of richness that butter adds to risotto recipes.
- Onion: A yellow or white onion is fine. You can substitute red onion or shallots for a milder flavor.
- Garlic
- White wine: Use a wine that you enjoy drinking because it will be reflected in the flavors of this risotto marinara. I like to use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pino grigio. If you prefer not to use wine, just increase the stock or broth accordingly.
- Arborio rice: Arborio is a starchy, short-grained rice that’s easily available in grocery stores. Other rice varieties that work for risotto are Carnaroli or Vialone nano. Avoid long grain rice varieties. They are less starchy and you won’t achieve the creamy texture that we’re looking for. Sushi rice can be used but you won’t have the signature al dente bite in the finished dish.
- Lemon Juice: You’ll need half a lemon.
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable stock: (Or vegetable broth) You can also use chicken broth or fish stock.
- Seafood: I’m using a combination of shrimp and scallops. Fresh seafood is ideal, but you can use frozen, defrosted seafood.
How to make risotto marinara
- Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer and keep it simmering over low heat.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Cook the onion and garlic until softened.
- Add the wine and lemon juice.
- Add the Arborio rice. Cook and stir until the rice has absorbed the wine.
- Add a ladle of stock to the pan and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed
- Repeat step 6 until you have about two cups of stock remaining.
- Whisk the tomato paste into the stock.
- Repeat step 6 with the tomato-infused stock.
- Stir in the final cup of stock, along with the shrimp and scallops.
- Continue to cook and stir until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the shrimp and scallops are opaque.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t rinse the rice: For most rice dishes, like my Mexican fried rice, or Jamaican rice and peas, you will rinse the rice to remove any extra starch. However, for this seafood risotto, and for all risotto recipes, we want to keep the starch so we end up with a rich and creamy risotto.
- Keep stirring: Some recipes will tell you that it isn’t necessary to stir constantly. And technically it isn’t. Your risotto will probably still taste good if you only stir it occasionally. However, if you want your risotto to be more than just good, stir constantly. Why? “The rice expands as it absorbs the hot broth and the friction of the constant stirring softens the outer layer of the grain, resulting in a creamy consistency.” —The Joy of Cooking. That creamy consistency is exactly what risotto is all about. So grab a glass of wine, settle in, and stir! You’ll be glad you did.
- Keep the stock or broth hot: The secret to a good risotto is to keep the broth hot while you are adding it during the cooking process. Warm broth brings out the starches in the rice and also prevents it from overcooking.
- Seafood: Other delicious seafood ingredients for risotto alla marinara are mussels, clams, crab, or calamari (baby squid). White fish like cod or halibut are also great.
- Add Parmesan: Add half a cup of grated parmesan cheese before serving if you prefer.
- Storage: Risotto is best enjoyed right away. However you can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, add the risotto to a small amount of simmering stock, broth, or water.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Risotto Marinara (Seafood Risotto)
Risotto Marinara is an Italian classic with creamy tomato risotto brimming with shrimp and scallops. Like any good risotto, some time and patience are required, but it’s an easy, uncomplicated recipe. The delicious result is worth every minute spent.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 429kcal
Instructions
Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer and keep it over low heat.
Heat the butter and oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and lemon juice.
Add the Arborio rice. Cook and stir until the rice has absorbed the wine.
Ladle one cup of the hot stock into the pan and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed; about 5 minutes. Repeat this, continuing until you have about two cups of stock remaining.
Whisk the tomato paste into the remaining stock, and bring it back to a simmer.
Repeat step 6 with the tomato-infused stock.
Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, stir in the final cup of stock along with the shrimp and scallops.
Continue to cook and stir until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the shrimp and scallops are opaque.
Taste and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes if using.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Don’t rinse the rice: For most rice dishes, like my Mexican fried rice, or Jamaican rice and peas, you will rinse the rice to remove any extra starch. However, for this seafood risotto, and for all risotto recipes, we want to keep the starch so we end up with a rich and creamy risotto.
- Keep stirring: Some recipes will tell you that it isn’t necessary to stir constantly. And technically it isn’t. Your risotto will probably still taste good if you only stir it occasionally. However, if you want your risotto to be more than just good, stir constantly. Why? “The rice expands as it absorbs the hot broth and the friction of the constant stirring softens the outer layer of the grain, resulting in a creamy consistency.” —The Joy of Cooking. That creamy consistency is exactly what risotto is all about. So grab a glass of wine, settle in, and stir! You’ll be glad you did.
- Keep the stock or broth hot: The secret to a good risotto is to keep the broth hot while you are adding it during the cooking process. Warm broth brings out the starches in the rice and also prevents it from overcooking.
- Seafood: Other delicious seafood ingredients for risotto all marinara are mussels, clams, crab, or calamari (baby squid). White fish like cod or halibut are also great.
- Add Parmesan: Add half a cup of grated parmesan cheese before serving if you prefer.
- Storage: Risotto is best enjoyed right away. However you can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, add the risotto to a small amount of simmering stock, broth, or water.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 871mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 442IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4mg
