Dinner
How to Make Risotto from the Pantry
Learn how to make risotto at home with only a few simple ingredients and have a savory, creamy, comforting vegetarian
- 4 servings
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 25 minutes
- Total 30 minutes
Despite growing up with an Italian father who cooked SO OFTEN, risotto was actually not something that we had much at home. It wasn’t until I traveled to Italy as an adult for the first time that I TRULY fell in love with the dish.
My dad was born and raised in a small town in Northern Italy called Verona which only so happens to be the region that risotto originated from. You can get so many flavor-packed variations but my go-to is a truly familiar risotto that’s simply cheesy and creamy!
I’m always surprised to hear that so many people think risotto is a pasta dish. I suppose because it’s Italian. However, Italians eat much more than simply pasta and bread!
Risotto is actually a RICE dish- but more about that later:)
Ingredients needed
Only a handful of simple ingredients for this old-school risotto recipe! Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Broth: We usually use a good vegetable broth but any broth you prefer will work well here to cook the rice in and add flavor to the overall dish.
- Olive oil: For cooking the rice before adding in the liquid ingredients.
- Butter: Adds a rich creaminess.
- Sweet onion: They have a sweet flavor due to a high sugar content, making them great for sautéing and caramelizing and savory in the risotto.
- Arborio rice: This particular variety of rice is a MUST for making risotto. You may see it labeled as “risotto rice” and you can find it in the aisle with other rice products.
- Dry white wine: We recommend using a Sauvignon Blanc, but Pinot Grigio or Sancerre would also work. Only make sure to avoid anything too sweet, like a Riesling or Moscato.
- Parmesan cheese: For savory nuttiness and saltiness in the dish.
- Fresh herbs: We like to use Italian parsley or thyme for a pop of color and freshness.
- Salt and black pepper: Use to enhance the flavors.
How to cook this method
With some simple steps, you can have an impressive dish in simply 30 minutes! Here’s the process:
- Heat broth: In a medium saucepan, place the broth over medium heat and bring to a particularly gentle simmer. Once it’s bubbling around the edges, lower the heat to low and leave on the heat. We want the broth to stay hot so that it doesn’t bring down the temperature of the risotto as we slowly add it to the dish.
- Cook rice: Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the rice, stir, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add wine: Stir in the white wine (or additional broth). Continue to cook and stir often, until the wine is almost completely absorbed.
- Add broth: ONE ladle-full at a time, slowly add in the broth. DO NOT add more broth until the previous ladle-full has been completely absorbed by the rice. It takes a few minutes each time. See video for reference.
- Continue to cook the rice: You can cook the risotto so that most/all of the liquid has been absorbed OR you can stop cooking the risotto so that there’s a decent amount of liquid remaining. I cook most of the liquid out of mine.
- Stir in butter and parmesan cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (you could skip the butter here as desired but I highly recommend adding it for optimal creaminess!) plus the parmesan cheese. Mix until combined and the cheese is fully melted and incorporated into the rice.
- Serve: Enjoy with fresh herbs and any other desired toppings.
Expert tips
- Keep the broth warm: It’s important to keep the temperature from dropping when cooking risotto, so it is necessary to keep the broth at a particularly low simmer on the stovetop. The rice will absorb the warm liquid faster and give it the dependable texture.
- Using wine: For the dependable flavor, we recommend using the dry white wine in this method, as the alcohol will actually cook out. However, if preferred, you can swap the wine for additional broth.
- Grated cheese: For extra flavor and creaminess, we recommend grating your own cheese for this method. Pre-shredded cheese in the bag will not melt as smoothly.
- Make it vegan: Feel free to use vegan butter and a non-dairy parmesan or substitute it for nutritional yeast, if you prefer. You can even try making kitchen-made vegan parmesan cheese.
Frequently asked questions
Toppings
Risotto is great simply with a little extra butter, parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish. However, there are countless ways to dress up this dish. Some suggestions are:
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Fresh herbs
- Blistered tomatoes with basil
- Roasted shrimp
- Seared sea scallops
- Broccoli with cheddar cheese
- Crumbled bacon or crispy prosciutto
Storage & reheating recommendations
- Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, and enjoy within about two days. It does not freeze well.
- To reheat, microwave for about a minute and then in 30 second intervals until warm. You may want to add a little extra butter and a splash of white wine or water to refresh the risotto.
More savory recipes to try
The recipe
How to Make Risotto from the Pantry
Learn how to make risotto at home with simply a few simple ingredients and have a satisfying, creamy, comforting vegetarian meal or side in simply about 30 minutes! This is one of those recipes that you'll turn to again and again for an unfussy, yet impressive dish the whole family will love!
- 4 servings
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 25 minutes
- Total 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups of broth (I usually use a good vegetable broth but any broth you prefer will work well here)
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
- ½ of a small sweet onion (about ½ cup)
- 1 ½ cups of arborio rice (sometimes labeled as “risotto rice”)
- ½ cup of dry white wine
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs (chopped (I genuinely like Italian Parsley or thyme in this))
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- 1
In a medium saucepan, place the broth over medium heat and bring to a quite gentle simmer. Once it’s bubbling around the edges, lower the heat to low and leave on the heat. We want the broth to stay hot so that it doesn’t bring down the temperature of the risotto as we slowly add it to the dish.
- 2
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the rice, stir, and cook until translucent, about 3 more minutes.
- 3
Stir in the white wine (or additional broth). Cook, stirring often, until the wine is almost completely absorbed.
- 4
ONE ladle-full at a time, slowly add in the broth. DO NOT add more broth until the previous ladle-full has been completely absorbed by the rice. It takes a few minutes each time. See video for reference.
- 5
You can cook the risotto so that most/all of the liquid has been absorbed OR you can stop cooking the risotto so that there’s a decent amount of liquid remaining. I cook most of the liquid out of mine. Check to be sure that the rice is cooked to your desired texture and add a little additional liquid as needed.
- 6
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (you could skip the butter here as desired but I highly recommend adding it for optimal creaminess!) plus the parmesan cheese. Mix until combined and the cheese is fully melted and incorporated into the rice.
- 7
Serve with fresh herbs, desired toppings and ENJOY
Cook notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, and enjoy within about two days. It does not freeze well. To reheat, microwave for about a minute and then in 30 second intervals until warm. You may want to add a little extra butter and a splash of white wine or water to refresh the risotto.
