How to Make Risotto

Risotto in pot garnished with fresh parsley with a small dishes of parsley and parmesan nearby.

4.82 from 11 votes

Follow this technical recipe for How to Make Risotto with my easy step-by-step guide and pictures and you'll be making restaurant-quality creamy risotto in no time

Course Side Dish, Tutorial

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 351kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter divided
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup arborio rice
2-3 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Keep heat on low.
Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir rice and bay leaves into onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated with the butter and onions and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
Use a ladle to add ½ cup of broth, stir, then allow the broth to be almost all absorbed, 2-3 minutes. Keep adding more broth, ½ a cup at a time and allow the broth to get absorbed undisturbed, until all the broth is incorporated, about 20 minutes total.
Remove the saucepan from heat, remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and more butter and serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Risotto is best served hot and fresh after being made, but can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge. Add a splash of water or broth before heating in the microwave or stovetop until warm.

Rinse rice in broth. Try combining the broth and rice in a bowl, agitating it to loosen the starch, and straining it through a fine mesh sieve into the pot for heating. You’ll notice how cloudy the broth is and the white starch that settles on the bottom of the pan. This step translates to a nuttier flavor from toasting and will still have that signature creaminess from the starch clinging to the rice for a quicker risotto recipe.

Opt for a wide shallow pot. When the rice has more room, it forms an even layer across the bottom near the heat source, allowing consistent cooking throughout.

Use low, simmering heat. This low simmer is ideal for soaking up the liquid as it steams away in an uncovered pan. I’ve found that this temperature cooks off the broth without overcooking the rice.

Don’t over-stir. You still want to agitate the rice while cooking, but a quick stir around the bottom of the pan once or twice every few minutes is all that’s needed to prevent the rice from sticking together and creating a creamy consistency.

Add broth in batches, not all at once. I add about ½ cup of broth at a time and wait until the liquid is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Because the rice cooks without a lid, you’ll notice how it will absorb the broth and evaporate.

Nutrition