Classic Risotto

Risotto Ingredients

For the best risotto recipe, the quality of your ingredients count. With simple recipes, you taste every element.

Rice: It’s important to use a starchy, medium- to short-grain rice to achieve the creamy, slightly sticky texture risotto is known for. Arborio is most used, but Carnaroli is another option that is widely available.

Broth: Instead of cooking rice in plain water as usual, this recipe uses broth to infuse the rice with flavor! Broth, stock, bone broth…it can be confusing. What you need to know is all of these are flavorful liquids that add sumptuous, savory taste and texture to a dish.

Onion: We opted to use an easy-to-find yellow onion. Make sure your pieces aren’t too large, since you want them to melt and blend into the rice mixture.

Wine: Deglazing uses a liquid to lift the tasty, browned bits from the bottom of a pan after sautéing. It works better if the liquid is slightly acidic, making dry white wine the ideal ingredient for deglazing the pan for risotto. We prefer Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but any dry white wine will work.

Butter, Salt, Parmesan Cheese, Pepper, and Parsley: They add loads of flavor to the finished dish. You can use other cheeses and herbs but avoid substituting anything for the butter unless necessary.  There’s nothing like the flavor of real butter.

Cookware You’ll Need

You don’t need any special equipment for this recipe, but here are a couple of items we recommend:

Large Glass Liquid Measuring Cup: A microwavable 1- to 2-quart liquid measuring cup (has a spout) makes microwaving and adding the broth to the rice mixture easy and tidy. If you don’t have one, use a ladle to spoon the hot broth into the pan.

Large Saucepan: A 4-quart stainless steel saucepan or a Dutch oven are both good options for this recipe. Both have plenty of room to make the risotto.

How to Make Risotto

We’ll give you all the tricks to perfecting this easy, homemade risotto recipe, but you can find the full recipe below.

1. Heat the Broth

Microwaving is the simplest way to heat the broth. You can also heat the broth in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then turn off the heat, leave it on the warm burner and cover to keep warm.

2. Sauté the Onions and Rice

Be sure to cook the onions to the color and doneness you like before adding the rice. Once the rice goes in, they won’t brown much more. It can be tricky deciding how long to cook the rice. Our tip: use your nose. The rice should smell toasty when it’s ready.

3. Deglaze and Add the Broth

To pour the broth from the measuring cup without spilling, touch your spoon or spatula to the spout and let the liquid stream down the utensil. As you get near the end, think of beating or whipping in the broth instead of just stirring it in. This will draw out more starch from the rice and make the finished risotto creamier.

4. Add Butter and Garnishes

“Mounting” with extra butter as a finishing touch is a classic cooking technique that creates extra flavor and texture. The cheese, pepper, and parsley add nuttiness, piquant flavor, and herbal brightness, rounding out this classic European comfort food.

Possible Variations

It’s easy to make variations to our classic risotto recipe! Whether cooking other veggies or meat in the same pan or topping with additional ingredients, risotto is endlessly adaptable.

For sausage risotto, cook bulk Italian sausage in the butter until cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan before adding the onions, then add it back toward the end of cooking to heat it through. Warm, roasted veggies like beets, asparagus, or these roasted carrots make a lovely topping for your finished risotto.

For a shortcut version, try our Quick Mushroom Risotto recipe, which adds a bit of cream to the dish for a luxurious finish.

Serving Risotto

What can’t you serve with risotto? This versatile dish can be dressed up with toppings and served as a main, perhaps with a simple salad on the side. Or it can play a supporting role as a side to grilled or braised meats and veggies 

Try our Slow-Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken, which uses chicken breasts, prepared Alfredo sauce, and fresh baby spinach to create a luxe slow-cooked feast with only 15 minutes of prep.

For another excellent Italian recipe, try these 6-ingredient Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops. Round out the meal with an arugula and tomato salad tossed in bottled balsamic vinaigrette. Buon appetito!

Storing and Reheating Options

Refrigerator

Cover and store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Freezer

For freezer storage, spoon individual servings of the risotto into freezer-safe food storage containers. Cover and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating

To reheat, spoon individual servings into microwavable bowls. Cover loosely and microwave, stirring once, on Medium-High (70%) for about 2 minutes or until steaming. Add a bit of water if mixture seems dry. Stir again before serving.