Lemon Risotto Recipe with Mascarpone Cheese

This is a totally luxurious Lemon Risotto recipe. This tangy, creamy risotto is swirled with with mascarpone cheese. Its bright flavor makes a perfect vegetarian main course or a delicious side dish.

Want even more ways to get your risotto? Be sure to try my Shrimp Risotto, Caprese Tomato Risotto and Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese.

Here’s a stunner of a risotto recipe for you – creamy lemon risotto.

Ah-Maz-Ing!

Tangy lemon mingles with the creaminess of the mascarpone cheese and a sprinkling of saffron – The colors are beautiful, the flavors are exciting and this dish comes together quickly and easily.

I recently attempted to make a gourmet (and expensive!) grilled cheese using white cheddar, mascarpone, ricotta and goat cheese. EPIC FAIL! The cheese was melting all over the place and was more on the plate than in the sandwich.

Also, I heated up some roasted red pepper and tomato soup that I picked up at Trader Joe’s. I ended up getting a bit busy, not paying attention to the stove, and burning that as well!

NOT my best night.

Anyway… I had leftover cheese for days so I decided to put the mascarpone to good use in this risotto. (I also made this Creamy Chicken Marsala with Mustard & Mascarpone, which you cannot miss either!)

Mascarpone is an Italian soft cheese with a mild flavor. Because of this, it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is used in the traditional Italian dessert of tiramisu.

You’ll find it in grocery stores in the tubbed cheese department (near the feta and goat cheese). If you can’t find it, you can swap in cream cheese.

The broth used for the risotto is infused with lemon peels and a sprinkling of saffron. The saffron lends an extra flavor to the dish and contributes to the beautiful color. However, if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to leave it out. The dish will still be amazing!!!

Ingredients needed

• Hot broth (vegetable broth or chicken stock, parmesan broth, or bone broth)
• Lemon juice
• Lemon peel – Peeled with a potato peeler. This is used to infuse the broth that “feeds” the risotto.
• Lemon zest – Grated with a microplane or the small holes of a cheese grater.
• Olive oil
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Arborio rice
• Dry vermouth or white wine
• Saffron
• Mascarpone cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Basil
• Kosher salt and black pepper

How to make it

Begin by warming the broth with the lemon peels and saffron. This brings balance to rich, salty broths and ultimately brightens up the flavor in the risotto. 

To start making the risotto, heat some oil in a large pot and saute the shallot and garlic. Next, add the rice. Season and toast the grains for 1 minute.

Deglaze the pot with wine. Make sure to scrape the tasty brown bits stuck on the bottom!

Add some warm broth to the pot, occasionally stirring until the broth is absorbed. Repeat this step until the rice is creamy but still has a firm bite. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, mascarpone, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, scoop some lemon risotto into each dish and garnish with fresh basil, if desired. Enjoy!

Add-In options

Feel free to add in extra veggies or protein to your lemon parmesan risotto. Here are some great options:

• Peas: Add ⅔ cup of fresh or frozen peas at the end.
• Chicken: Cube and saute some chicken chicken breasts. Then stir them into your cooked risotto.
• Asparagus: Steam about 20 asparagus spears. Cut into 1-inch pieces then stir into the cooked risotto.
• Mushrooms: Add 8 ounces of thinly sliced mushrooms with the shallots, then saute for a few minutes.
• Prawns: Saute some shrimp, then add them to your cooked risotto.
• Scallops: Sear scallops in olive oil and butter, then top your risotto with them.

How to store & reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to three days. To reheat, add it to a pan with a bit of extra chicken broth and heat over medium heat.

Here’s a full post with my tips on how to reheat risotto.

What alcohol can you use in risotto?

• You can use a dry white wine or white (dry) vermouth for this risotto recipe. I love to keep dry vermouth on hand and often use it in recipes where white wine is called for. It will keep in your cupboard and it’s generally more affordable than white wine.

What to serve with it

• Easy Arugula Salad
• Sauteed Spinach
• Cherry Tomato Salad with Roasted Lemons
• Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
• Steak Bites with Garlic Butter and Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Easy Roasted Chicken
• MORE → 35+ EASY sides for risotto!

And let’s not forget the wine… Never an option in our house.

To pair with this totally indulgent Lemon Risotto, I chose a totally decadent wine – Bubbles. And not just one bottle, but two bottles – a Brut and Blanc De Noirs. I mean, why not? Sometimes it’s fun to open up a couple different bottles of wine with dinner to sample and taste, and to see what works best with your palate.

This Lemon Risotto would be the perfect dish to serve during the holiday season. Pair it with your sous vide Prime Rib at the Christmas table, or pop those bubbles and serve this risotto on New Years Eve. It would also be great for an at home date night, paired with some filet mignon or steak diane.

Wine pairings for lemon risotto

• Chardonnay – Its butteriness and hints of citrus will pair very nicely.
• Pinot Gris – Its acidity will cut through the richness of the dish and lend a brightening essence to the dish.
• Bubbles (Champagne, Cava, Prosecco) – The effervescence mingles nicely with the rich, creamy flavors.

More risotto recipes

• Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese & Dried Cranberries
• Pea Risotto with Mascarpone
• Creamy Chicken Risotto
• Caprese Tomato Risotto
• Seared Scallops with Lemon Tarragon Risotto
• Shrimp Risotto
• Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese
• Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Mousse
• Instant Pot Risotto Recipe

Did you try this mascarpone risotto?

If you loved this lemon mascarpone risotto, I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a ⭐️star review⭐️! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Looking for more ways to use lemons? Here’s 35+ recipes that use a lot of lemons.

This recipe was originally published in 2015. It was updated in 2022 to update the photographs and content. The recipe remains the same.