Parmesan Risotto

5 - 6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (optional)
salt and pepper
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In a small saucepan, bring stock to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
In a medium saucepan, saute the onion at medium heat, stirring until the onion is translucent but does not brown. Add minced garlic, rice and stir. Turn heat to medium high and stir in 1/2 cup broth
Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.
Stir in the rice.
Bring heat to medium-high, and pour in about 1/2 cup of the stock, keeping the mixture boiling, stirring continuously.
As the broth is absorbed, continue to add broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time.
It is important to keep the mixture boiling, but keep stirring to keep it from sticking to the pot.
It may take about a 30 minutes for all of the broth to be absorbed by the rice and for the rice to become tender.
When rice is done, stir in the butter and cheese, then serve warm. Sprinkle with chopped parsley for a garnish, if desired.
The whole cooking process may take 25-30 minutes. Once all the stock has been absorbed, and the risotto is tender, remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the butter and Parmesan.