How to Cook Risotto

This homemade risotto base is the only risotto recipe you'll ever need! Learn how to cook risotto so that it's perfect every single time. This is the perfect Italian side dish, dinner or date night meal!

Risotto is the perfect way to level up your dinners, whether it's a date night or a weeknight!

With just a little patience and a little time, you'll have perfectly cooked risotto packed with flavor.

If you need an easy risotto recipe, this is it! It has all of the steps you need to feel confident trying this Italian dinner recipe. 

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What is risotto?

Risotto is a classic Italian dish that's made from starchy, short-grain rice such as Italian Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice.

These special rice grains can absorb a lot of liquid, so they are often served with a cheese sauce, broth or wine sauce. Some people might even call it Italian mac and cheese!

Risotto is made by slowly adding warmed broth into the rice allowing it to absorb the broth as you go.

I fell in love with risotto when I studied abroad in Italy, and it's one of the meals I love to make when I want to reminisce about that trip.

It also makes for a really good date-night meal. I love making this creamy, vegetarian Tomato Zucchini Risotto and opening a special bottle of wine whenever we get a night to ourselves.

Is risotto easy to make?

Honestly, yes. But risotto can be deceiving!

If you've ever watched a cooking show, the contestants and judges make it seem like risotto is overly complicated and like a delicate flower that you could easily destroy. 

Once I learned how to cook risotto, I found that risotto isn't nearly as complicated as it seems to be. However, the directions and time it takes to make it can often be a little overwhelming.

Mastering homemade risotto was one of the first recipes that gave me a huge boost of confidence in cooking.

I like to pair risotto with a simple protein like Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs for a complete meal that I'm able to make all at once.

Best rice for risotto

Arborio rice is going to be the easiest rice to find and use for risotto. Do not rinse the rice before you cook it as it has starches on it that are essential to the cooking process to make risotto creamy! 

If you don't have arborio rice, you can use another short or medium grain rice in a pinch.

However, avoid jasmine or basmati rice because they are not going to have enough starch to make risotto creamy. 

Tips for making risotto

Risotto is actually so easy to make. In order to make it right every time, remember these three things: 

• Don't rush. Risotto does take time and it's a process you really don't want to rush. So be prepared to make this recipe on an evening when you have time.
• Nail the basics first, then go crazy. Getting the base of this recipe is really the key here. Once you have this basic risotto down, the toppings have infinite possibilities.
• The stock temperature matters. Always use warm stock. Any kind will work!

Risotto vs. pasta

Risotto and pasta are both Italian dishes, can be served with many veggies, meats and sauces and make for a delicious date night meal. But the similarities stop there — the two are very different.

Pasta is an Italian dish that everyone loves, made from egg- and flour-based noodles produced in a variety of shapes. We eat pasta hot and cold in a number of ways:

• mixed with broth to make soup (like Italian Wedding Soup or Quick and Easy Minestrone Soup)
• mixed with cooked meat and veggies (like this Vegetarian Pasta Salad or this Creamy Butternut Squash Kale Pasta)
• and, of course, doused with sauce like spaghetti and meatballs.

Risotto is a dish made from a type of rice grain, so at the very heart of it, risotto is quite different from pasta.

There is a big difference in how to cook it as well. Pasta is cooked in salted, boiling water in just a few minutes. It's incredibly hard to mess up. In fact, many pasta dishes can be cooked in one pot, like this Prosciutto Pesto Feta Pasta.

But unlike pasta, there are a lot of variables when it comes to cooking risotto. The temperature of the broth, the brand and type of rice and how often you stir the rice are all factors in making the best risotto.

Don't worry, though. None of these things will RUIN a risotto recipe — they may just change the cooking time and the final consistency. 

Is risotto dairy-free?

Risotto can be made with or without dairy. You can even make vegan risotto.

In fact, even without dairy it can still be quite creamy. Adding the liquid slowly allows the rice to "bump together" which makes risotto creamy naturally without needing to add in any cream.

Many recipes call for added cream or cheese for extra creaminess, but risotto can be kept dairy-free very easily. 

Is risotto gluten-free?

Yes! Unlike traditional pasta, which is made from wheat flour, risotto is made from rice, a grain that doesn't contain gluten.

Tools to make risotto

Here is what you need to make risotto:

• Small sauce pan for the broth and a ladle
• Medium size sauce pan
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting board and sharp knife for toppings

Risotto ingredients

A good base for risotto uses:

• Arborio rice
• Garlic
• Onion or shallot
• White wine
• Chicken Broth (use vegetable broth to make this vegan risotto)

Once you master making a risotto base, you can play with plenty of toppings and proteins. It's such a delicious blank slate.

Risotto toppings

Once you have a good base for risotto, the topping possibilities are endless.

Try one, two or a combination of these risotto toppings to make your own delicious dish:

• Roasted veggies such as mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, onion, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin)
• Grains and legumes such as cooked corn, lentils or white beans
• Cheese such as shredded or shaved parmesan, blue cheese, ricotta or mascarpone
• Butter or browned butter
• Heavy cream
• Herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, fresh basil
• Lemon, olive oil or truffle oil
• Black pepper

Risotto proteins

Risotto can be enjoyed as a side dish or you can serve proteins right on top or mixed in the same sauce.

The ideas for proteins are endless too, as risotto pairs with just about anything.

• chicken breast or thighs
• pork chops or pork tenderloin
• cooked sausage
• steak such as filet mignon or rib-eye
• crustaceans like shrimp, lobster or scallops
• fish such as salmon or tuna
• fried or poached eggs

One of my favorites is this keto shrimp recipe. It's so light and delicate for a Tuscan risotto dish!

How To Cook Risotto

Cooking risotto always seems tricky at first — there are a lot of steps!

But I promise you that you can do it! If you get discouraged after trying it once, I encourage you to try again.

1. In a small sauce pan, pour in broth and set to low heat. 
2. Dice onion and mince garlic. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a sauce pan on medium heat, sauté onions and garlic until almost translucent, about 2 minutes. 
3. Add arborio rice to pan and stir with wooden spoon until the edges are translucent, another 2 minutes. 
4. Pour in wine and let the wine absorb almost fully, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. 
5. Use a ladle to pour about ½ cup of broth into the risotto. Allow risotto to almost fully absorb broth before adding another ladle. Stir risotto occasionally, between ladling in broth.
6. When there is about a ½ cup of broth left to add to the risotto, take a spoonful to test. Risotto typically is served "al dente" but you can cook it to your personal preference. When resting, the risotto will continue to cook so be sure to not overcook it during this process.
7. If needed, add the rest of the broth or more to cook to the right consistency for your preference.
8. Add any toppings or proteins into risotto and stir together. (Or serve proteins on top.) Serve immediately.

Got leftovers? Here's how to reheat risotto perfectly every time.

More tips to cook risotto perfectly

Cook Your Toppings Separately from Risotto.

When you're making risotto, you don't want to be trying to time things to cook at the same time in the main pot. Cook any vegetables or proteins separately from the risotto and gently toss them in as the risotto is finished cooking. 

Lemon pepper chicken thighs or peach balsamic chicken would be perfect alongside risotto.

You could also sauté some blackened shrimp in butter or serve cast iron steaks alongside this risotto. 

I like to use a medium saucepan to cook my chicken first and then add in the quartered zucchini right at the end just to cook slightly. 

Once everything has been cooked separately, you can toss it all together gently. Or you can serve your proteins on top.

Then top with any shredded cheese you want to use. 

Always use warm stock for risotto.

Always use WARM stock, not cold.

If your stock is a new container and is at room temperature, that is okay. But the best way to make risotto is to warm your stock in a small saucepan and ladle it into the risotto as it cooks.

This can also help cook the risotto faster because it will keep the entire pot warm instead of shocking it with cold liquid over and over again. 

How often to stir risotto? Occasionally.

Always stir risotto occasionally.

Stirring it too frequently will make it too sticky, but not stirring it at all won't allow the starches of the rice to come in contact with each other, which is what makes the risotto naturally creamy. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know when risotto is done?

A few things to keep in mind to know when your risotto is fully cooked: 

• Texture: Risotto is typically served a bit more cooked than "al dente". If you take a bite of the risotto, it shouldn't be crunchy but should also not be mushy. Find whatever that sweet spot is for your preference. But this definitely means that once you have used up all of the broth, be sure to taste test to catch it before it gets overcooked. 
• Creaminess: Risotto will be creamy and still have some liquid to it. It shouldn't be dry and able to form into a ball. If you run your wooden spoon through the risotto, you should see the bottom of the pan and be able to watch the risotto slowly fall back into place. 

Can you cook risotto without wine?

Yes, you can. White wine is usually added during the cooking process for risotto to add flavor and acidity.

Skipping it won't ruin the recipe, but you may want to squeeze in lemon juice at some point during the cooking process or at the very end for a punch of lemon flavor! 

Use a dry white wine or cooking white wine in your risotto, if you choose to use it. I recommend Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.

Bonus: Then you can pour yourself a glass to enjoy with dinner. 😉

More risotto recipes

• Tomato Zucchini Risotto
• Shrimp Risotto
• Creamy Mushroom Risotto
• Pumpkin Risotto