Pesto Risotto with Shrimp

Name: Pesto Risotto with Shrimp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 47 min
Total time: 67 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Carnaroli rice About 1 2/3 cups uncooked 1.7 cups; White wine 2.5 oz; Fine salt to taste; Water 4 ¼ cups; Red onions 1; Carrots 1; Celery 1 rib; Basil to taste; Basil 2.8 oz; Pine nuts 0.75 oz; Grana Padano PDO cheese 2.1 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 0.8 cup; Fine salt to taste; Shrimps red, blast-frozen 7 oz; Lime peel to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 47 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

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PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Sebastian Fitarau

Pesto risotto with shrimp is built on two deliberate moves that make the difference between a good bowl and a striking one. The gamberi rossi — a specific variety of red shrimp — are briefly marinated in lime and laid raw onto the scalding rice at the very last moment, letting residual heat do the finishing work. The result is a summer dish that feels easy to pull together yet lands with the kind of presence you'd expect from a restaurant plate.

The homemade basil pesto goes in only after the heat is off, a step that locks in the vivid green color and keeps every aromatic note intact. The creaminess here comes from the pesto, not from extended cooking, and the texture plays on contrast: yielding rice against barely-warmed shrimp, cool brightness against heat. A lime marinade on the shrimp adds a contemporary edge that feels deliberate rather than accidental, and it's that combination — fragrant pesto, raw red shrimp, a touch of citrus — that gives the dish its character.

INGREDIENTS

Carnaroli rice 1.7 cups (320 g) - About 1 2/3 cups uncooked

White wine 2.5 oz (70 g)

Fine salt to taste

Water 4 ¼ cups (1 l)

Red onions 1

Carrots 1

Celery 1 rib

Basil to taste

For the basil pesto: Basil 2.8 oz (80 g); Pine nuts 0.75 oz (20 g); Grana Padano PDO cheese 2.1 oz (60 g); Extra virgin olive oil 0.8 cup (180 g); Fine salt to taste

For the marinated shrimp: Shrimps 7 oz (200 g) - red, blast-frozen; Lime peel to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp (15 g); Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Pesto Risotto with Shrimp

To prepare the pesto risotto with shrimp, start by cleaning the crustaceans. Remove the head and shell, then remove the vein along the back 1. Set the scraps aside. Roughly chop the carrot 2 and the celery stalk 3.

Trim and cut the onion into large pieces as well 4. In a pot place the shrimp scraps from cleaning 5 and the vegetables 6.

Pour in the water 7, bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes 8. In the meantime, season the shrimp with salt and pepper 9.

A drizzle of oil 10 and the lime zest 11, mix gently 12 and set aside in the refrigerator.

Now prepare the pesto: in a jug put the basil leaves 13, the pine nuts 14 and the grated cheese 15.

Pour in the oil 16 and add salt. Blend with an immersion blender 17 until you obtain a creamy sauce 18.

Meanwhile the seafood stock will be ready; strain it through a sieve 19 and keep it warm. In a saucepan toast the rice dry for a couple of minutes 20, then deglaze with the white wine 21 and let it evaporate.

Add the warm shrimp stock, a ladle at a time 22, stirring often and cook for about 15–18 minutes, until the rice is al dente. Turn off the heat, add the basil pesto 23 and gently finish to make it creamy, then let the risotto rest for a couple of minutes 34.

To finish, divide the rice among the plates 25 and top with the marinated red shrimp 26 and a few fresh basil leaves. The pesto risotto with shrimp is ready to enjoy 27.

Storage

We recommend consuming the pesto risotto with shrimp immediately.

You can store the risotto without shrimp for one day in the refrigerator.

Tip

You can substitute the pine nuts with blanched almonds or unsalted pistachios, which pair wonderfully with the sweet taste of the marinated red shrimp and give the pesto an equally creamy texture and a delicate flavor.

For safe consumption of raw, marinated or undercooked fish

Before consuming raw, marinated or not fully cooked fish, it is recommended to freeze it for at least 96 hours at -18C (0F) in a domestic freezer rated 3 stars or more, according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

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