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Authentic Seafood Risotto

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
A delicious creamy risotto full of fresh seafood made the authentic Italian way from Southern Italy.
4.49 from 247 votes
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Author: Christina

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion diced
  • 6 garlic cloves 4 for risotto, 2 for mussels, minced
  • 1 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 for risotto, 1 cup for mussels
  • 2 cups Arborio risotto
  • 4 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 6 cups fish stock or vegetable broth
  • 7 ounces live mussels
  • 7 ounces prawns or shrimp
  • 7 ounces baby scallops
  • 7 ounces baby squid calamari rings
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the mussels first. In a stockpot, combine wine, garlic, and salt. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and add live mussels. Cover the stockpot and steam mussels on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the mussels open. Remove from heat and throw away any mussels that do not open. Set aside 12 mussels with shell and shuck the rest.
  • Heat up the fish stock in its own pot on medium heat. If it comes to a boil, lower the heat.
  • Warm the olive oil on medium heat in a large, tall-sided pot. Then add the white onion and garlic. Saute the onions until its translucent.
  • Add risotto to the pot and toast the kernels for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to not brown the kernels. Then deglaze the pot with the white wine and lemon juice. Once the risotto absorbs the liquids, mix together the water and tomato paste. Then add it to the risotto and stir until the risotto absorbs all the liquid again.
  • Add a ladle of warm fish stock to the risotto and stir continuously. When the risotto absorbs ALL the stock, add another ladle and repeat this process for 18 minutes. Make sure you stir the risotto gently to distribute the cooking process evenly. Do not forget to continue to scrape the bottom of the pot so the risotto does not burn.
  • Once 18 minutes have passed, add the shucked mussels, prawns, baby scallops, and baby squid to cook the seafood while continuing to cook the risotto. Keep adding a ladle of stock when needed for 7 more minutes or until the risotto is cooked to perfection - tender yet firm to the bite.
  • Add the grated parmesan cheese and season the seafood risotto with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Garnish with the chopped flat-leaf parsley and mussels in the shell. Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

It is very important to continue to stir the risotto throughout the cooking process to release all the starch. The slow cooking method of adding a ladle of stock at a time while stirring is what makes the risotto extra creamy and delicious.
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