Add the olive olive, onions and garlic to a steel, cast iron or aluminum pan and set in a hot oven for a few minutes. Don’t burn the garlic.
Add the rice, and stir to coat the rice with the olive oil. Return the pan to a hot oven for a few minutes to saute the rice. Do not let the rice turn brown.
Add 2 cups of the stock and the wine to the rice and stir the mixture. Return the pan to the oven. The technique with Risotto is to continue to stir the rice and to keep the mixture wet with stock — this allows the rice to absorb the liquid, and the liquid to mix with the rice’s starch to become creamy.
Add 1 cup of stock a a time, stir the mixture and return to the oven.
When you have 1 cup of stock left (it should take about 20 minutes), your rice should be nearly ready, but a tiny bit crunch on the inside. Don’t forget that one of the characteristics of Arborio rice is that is stays firm in the center, and doesn’t go mushy. At this point you are ready to finish the dish.
Add the last cup of stock and half (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan and stir. Return to pan to the oven for only a few minutes, to melt the cheese and heat the dish through.
Cover with the remaining Parmesan a little cracked pepper, and serve immediately.