Parmesan Risotto

A low FODMAP Parmesan risotto of Arborio rice, low FODMAP chicken broth, white wine, butter, and scallion greens.

Prep 10 min

Cook 30 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

• 5 cups (1.2 L) low-FODMAP chicken broth, homemade, certified low FODMAP, or a boxed broth whose full ingredient list you have checked
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, divided
• Green tops of 2 scallions (spring onions), or the green part of 1 leek, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
• 1 cup (about 80g) finely grated parmesan, plus more to serve
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

Warm the broth and aromatics

1. Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low so it stays hot without boiling down.
2. In a wide, heavy pot, heat the garlic-infused oil with 1 tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced scallion or leek greens and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.

Toast the rice and add wine

1. Add the Arborio rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the grains look glossy and the edges turn translucent.
2. Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost fully absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the broth gradually

1. Add the hot broth one ladleful (about 1/2 cup) at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next.
2. Continue for 18 to 22 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender with a slight bite. You may not need all of the broth.

Finish with parmesan

1. Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter and the grated parmesan until melted and creamy.
2. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the parsley if using, and serve right away with extra parmesan. Loosen with a splash of warm broth if it thickens.

Tips & Substitutions

• Keep the broth hot. Adding cold broth stalls the cooking and makes the rice gummy. A bare simmer holds the temperature steady while you ladle.
• Use green tops only. The green part of scallions and leeks is low in fructans, while the white bulbs are high. Slice past the pale base and discard the white.
• Check your broth. Most boxed stocks contain onion and garlic. Use low-FODMAP chicken broth, a certified low FODMAP broth, or one whose ingredient list has no onion, garlic, or other high FODMAP ingredients.
• Make it vegetarian. Swap in a low-FODMAP vegetable broth and a vegetarian hard cheese aged in the parmesan style.
• Skip the wine. Replace the wine with an extra 1/2 cup of broth plus a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
• Grate the parmesan fine. Finely grated cheese melts smoothly off the heat, while coarse shreds tend to clump.

Why This Works

• Garlic flavor without fructans. Garlic's FODMAPs are water soluble, not oil soluble, so garlic-infused oil carries the flavor while leaving the fructans behind.
• Onion note from greens. The green tops of scallions and leeks add an allium background while staying low in fructans, unlike the white bulbs.
• Parmesan is essentially lactose-free. Aged hard cheeses lose nearly all their lactose during production, so parmesan is low FODMAP in normal serving sizes.
• Rice and dry wine both test low. Arborio rice is low FODMAP, and dry white wine tests low at a moderate serving, so the base stays gentle. Look up any ingredient in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Risotto firms up as it cools, so reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of low-FODMAP broth or water, stirring until it turns creamy again. It does not freeze well, since the texture turns grainy after thawing. For food safety, cool it within 2 hours of cooking and reheat until steaming hot.