The secret to a good risotto

The right rice: Short-grain varieties have the surface starch that creates a creamy texture as it cooks; long-grain rice simply doesn’t.

Good broth: Because it carries most of the flavor, quality matters more here than in almost any other rice dish.

The finishing touch: Butter and freshly grated Parmesan stirred in off the heat is what pulls a risotto together. Adding the cheese while the pan is still on the flame causes it to clump and turn grainy instead of melting smoothly into the rice.

Once you have this technique down, my rich mushroom risotto is the next step — the same method with dried porcini and cremini mushrooms as the flavor base.

A brown bowl filled with uncooked Arborio rice sits on a countertop, surrounded by risotto essentials: an onion, a small dish of butter, saffron strands, and a glass of liquid.

Karen’s ingredient notes

Ingredients for preparing risotto arranged on a surface, including containers of broth, wine, short grain rice, butter, saffron threads and an onion next to a piece of parchment paper with grated cheese on top.

Arborio rice: The rounded grains are rich in a type of starch (amylopectin) that releases and emulsifies with the broth during cooking, which is why the best risottos have an irresistibly creamy texture. Varieties that are closely related to Arborio, like carnaroli rice and vialone nano will also make truly restaurant-level risotto. Long-grain rice — jasmine, basmati, or standard white rice — doesn’t have enough surface starch, so no amount of stirring will produce a creamy result. You’ll end up with cooked rice in broth, not risotto.

Parmesan cheese: This is the ingredient that separates rice cooked in broth from actual risotto. Combined with a few pats of butter, it melts into the residual starch in the pan and pulls the risotto into a creamy, cohesive texture. Pre-grated Parmesan from a plastic container won’t do the same thing — anti-caking additives prevent it from melting smoothly. I highly recommend grating it fresh.

Broth: Your risotto will taste even better if you use a quick, homemade light vegetable broth or basic homemade chicken broth for this recipe. Because the dish is a short and simple combination of ingredients, you will definitely taste the difference. Avoid darker-colored chicken stock or bone broths — their stronger flavor will overwhelm the delicacy of the dish.

Saffron: It’s what makes this a classic risotto Milanese rather than a plain Parmesan risotto. You only need a small amount to give the rice its distinctive golden-butter color and a faintly honeyed, floral fragrance. You won’t get that from any other ingredient. But it is expensive — if you’d rather skip it, the risotto still works.

How to make risotto

1. Cook the onion over medium heat until soft and translucent. Browning will change the flavor base of the entire dish.
2. Lightly toasting the rice in the fat before any liquid is added sets up the starch to release gradually — this is what prevents the finished risotto from turning gluey.

3. Every grain should be coated before the wine goes in. Uncoated grains absorb liquid unevenly, and cook at different rates.
4. Let the wine reduce until the sharp smell of alcohol is gone — what remains is the acidity that balances the butter and cheese.

5. Grinding saffron to a powder before it goes in distributes the color and flavor evenly — whole threads release unevenly.
6. Add the saffron now, before the broth, so it blooms directly in the hot fat rather than just dissolving in liquid.

7. The first addition of broth is larger than the rest — it jumpstarts the starch release.
8. You’re looking for a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan to leave a clean trail before the next ladle.
9. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, maintaining a lively simmer.

10. Large, slow bubbles after about 15 minutes are a visual cue that the starch is fully active and the risotto is close to done.
11. Pull the pan off the heat while there’s still visible liquid — the rice continues absorbing as it rests, and you need that moisture for the final step.

12. Add the butter and Parmesan off the heat and stir vigorously — this is the step that transforms cooked rice into risotto.
13. Risotto waits for no one — it will firm as it sits, so serve it straight from the pan.

What to serve with risotto: Risotto works as a standalone dinner or as a base for braised meats. It pairs particularly well with anything that has a rich, wine-based sauce — the starchy rice absorbs the braising liquid in the same way creamy polenta does. For a complete dinner, try it alongside tender red wine short ribs or braised Italian-style pork. My butternut squash risotto shows how the same technique works with roasted vegetables as the main flavor.

5 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)

4 Comments

Cate says:

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Delicious and easy! I did add some celery, peppers:)

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Kathy says:

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I just finished making this risotto. It’s positively Devine. Thank you for the recipe. You made it look easy. 💕

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Back Forty Farms says:

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WOW – so delicious! When I can salsa, I drain the juice off my tomatoes and freeze it. That is what I used for the ‘vegetable broth’ in this risotto recipe and the flavor is AMAZING. Thank you – keeping this one to make again and again.

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Liza says:

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This looks like something that is right up my alley. I can’t wait to try it!
–Liza

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