Watermelon & Pineapple Gazpacho
August 1, 2026Sweet Corn Of Summer
Corn Risotto
Main
While you can usually find corn year-round, the freshest, juiciest sweet corn is hitting its peak as summer draws to a close. As I still have a love/hate relationship going on with the oven (that whole it’s too hot to cook thing), I turned to the stove top to make one of Tom’s favorite meals, risotto.
I think risotto is a perfect dish. Rich, creamy and an almost endless list of add-ins. Our go-to is made with Mascarpone cheese and orange zest. I love standing in the kitchen chatting with Tom while stirring the risotto, sipping wine and listening to music. A perfect evening.
I like to use chicken broth boosted with Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken, but a vegetable broth would work fine here, too. To enhance the corn flavor, save one of the cobs and simmer it in the broth while warming. You can never have too much creamy corn flavor.
Which rice to use? I prefer Carnaroli which, according to the now defunct Fine Cooking, “is the preferred risotto rice in most regions in Italy except the Veneto” and “said to produce the creamiest risotto.”
Sweet summer corn at its finest and you don’t even have to turn on the oven!
Ingredients:
3 medium ears fresh sweet corn, cut from the cob, reserve one cob
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, diced
1 cup Carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons Mascarpone cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chives for garnish
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
In a medium sauce, heat the broth and stir in the Better Than Bouillon if using. Add the reserved corn cob and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes.
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook stirring occasionally until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat the rice with the olive oil, and sauté until the rice is slightly crunchy and translucent about 2 minutes, do not over-cook. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the wine and stir until just evaporated.
Add one cup of broth constantly stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, add an additional cup of broth and constantly stir until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the corn. Add the next cup of broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add the last cup and repeat. This will take about 35-40 minutes.
If you run out of broth before the rice is finished (creamy and al-dente), use white wine or hot water in ¼-cup increments. The risotto should be thick and creamy in consistency. Remember to stir, stir, stir!
Remove the risotto from heat and stir in the Mascarpone cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and chives to serve.
6-8 servings.
For more risotto ideas, check out our other recipes …
Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Risotto
Risotto with Italian Blue Goat Cheese and Xocopili Chocolate
