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Risottos: Delicious ideas for easy and tasty recipes

Risottos: an endless array of recipes to explore

One of the most recognisable Italian foods is risotto. They represent modern gastronomy’s focus on ingredient quality and its capacity to turn basic components into delectable dishes that evoke a genuine culinary experience and engage both taste and sight.

In the end, risottos are not only delicious but also aesthetically pleasing. The gourmet aspect of many of the most basic rice-based recipes sets them apart, to the point where they shine on the menus of the most exclusive dining establishments. Risotto with bacon and courgettes is a straightforward appetiser that makes a big impression.

The wonderful thing about risottos is that they let you use your imagination to the utmost extent possible. There are a few rules that must be followed though. The recurring elements are: cooking in broth (or in hot water), preparing a base that also acts as a seasoning, and finally the creaming.

The elements that can be modified, or chosen at will, are the seasoning and the ingredients used for creaming. As a result, there are countless versions.

The most common types of risotto in the kitchen are thus summarised in this tutorial. Numerous recipes are categorised based on a number of factors, including the level of traditionalism, the level of refinement, the experimental nature, the difficulty of preparation, the ability to be gently nourishing, and compatibility with lactose intolerance and coeliac disease.

The most traditional recipes

Let’s begin with the most classic risottos, whose recipes have been passed down through the generations. Recipes that are well known and that are prepared with a certain frequency.

Saffron Risotto

In Italy, saffron risotto is arguably the most well-known type of risotto. Because of its delicate flavour and golden look, it is also one of the most admired.

One of the most valuable spices, saffron, is the main ingredient. It gives the rice its colour and flavour. For this occasion, the saffron is added at the beginning of cooking, well diluted in hot water. The version you find on the site is similar to Risotto Alla Milanese; in fact, it includes the addition of marrow and some aromatic herbs.

Finanziera Risotto

Finanziera Risotto is a very tasty dish with an intense flavour. The main seasoning is chicken livers, an ingredient that stands out for its nutritional properties and for its ability to transform the dish into a sort of complete meal.

One of the recipe’s peculiarities is that the livers, which are the main seasoning, are cooked separately from the rice and added right before creaming.

Seafood Risotto

Seafood Risotto is the symbol of Italian seafood cuisine; in fact, it is made with lots of seafood: mussels, clams, shrimp, and even calamari.

Since each of these components has a separate cooking time, they must be added at different times, making it one of the most challenging risottos to prepare. Some even need to be added at the end.

The lack of creaming in the seafood risotto is a peculiarity since the butter and Parmesan would mask the seafood’s subtle fishy flavours.

The most refined and gourmet risotto recipes

Let’s now move on to more gourmet recipes, that is, those that stand out for their elegance and for the most refined and surprising solutions. These are risottos that are perhaps a little more complicated to prepare, but that transform the meal into a real experience.

Caviar and champagne risotto

Champagne risotto is one of the most refined and delicate risottos you can ever taste; luckily, it is also easy to make. Just toast the rice on a sauté of shallots, add it, and cook it; finally, it must be lightly stirred before adding the caviar as a decoration.

The gourmet character of this first course is guaranteed not only by the caviar but also by the champagne that is added to the rice after toasting instead of the usual white wine.

Risotto with pears and petit pont l’eveque cheese

Another very refined recipe is the pear risotto with petit pont l’eveque cheese, which is characterized by its ability to integrate savoury and sweet notes.

The pears, which are introduced halfway through the rice’s cooking process, ensure sweetness, and the vegetable broth and the lard, which serves as a condiment, ensure a savoury flavour.

Petit pont l’eveque, a very soft French cheese with a buttery flavour and an intriguing earthy aftertaste, is tasked with creaming.

Pear Risotto with Gorgonzola Cheese

Pear risotto with Gorgonzola cheese combines simplicity and sophistication. The simplicity is given by the preparation, which involves cooking the rice in the broth on sautéed shallots, followed by creaming with gorgonzola cheese. Finally, the pears are added, sautéed, and placed as a garnish.

There are numerous ways to demonstrate culinary refinement, but the pairing of pears and gorgonzola cheese is undoubtedly one of the most tasteful and admired. This combination, famous for its contrast between sweet and savoury, is a pillar of gourmet preparations, capable of elevating simple dishes to haute cuisine creations. Pears, with their subtle sweetness and juicy texture, blend harmoniously with the tangy creaminess of gorgonzola, creating a balance of flavours that delights the palate. This combination is versatile and lends itself to a variety of dishes, from salads enriched with crunchy walnuts and honey vinaigrette to fragrant risottos where the pear adds freshness and the gorgonzola cheese a rich decadence.

Interesting ideas for easy risottos

Now let’s move on to the simplest risottos, which often require a handful of ingredients and can be prepared by anyone.

Risotto with parmesan cheese

It is one of the easiest risottos you can imagine. The recipe, in fact, consists of cooking the rice in vegetable broth and creraming in plenty of parmesan cheese.

Risotto with parmesan cheese, despite its extreme simplicity, is very good. Obviously most of the “work” is done by the Parmesan, which is best chosen slightly aged in order to guarantee a certain creaminess.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Porcini mushroom risotto is an easy and traditional recipe at the same time. The rice is always cooked in the same way, that is, on a base of sauteed shallots and with broth. The mushrooms, which must be partially cooked, should be added at the beginning of cooking the rice. In addition, I recommend leaving some mushrooms for the final garnish.

The creaming of this risotto is quite classic, made with butter and Parmesan, two ingredients that give the dish an unmistakable creaminess and richness of flavour. This traditional method of finishing the risotto, incorporating cold butter and grated Parmesan towards the end of cooking, allows the fats in the butter to emulsify with the starch in the rice, thus creating a smooth and velvety consistency that is the hallmark of a great risotto.

This risotto can be made in a variety of ways, some of which involve adding ingredients that can give the meal unique textures and flavours. The addition of sausage is a popular addition to these versions because the meat’s flavourful fat and spicy undertones complement the butter’s sweetness and the Parmesan’s flavour. The use of speck, a smoked South Tyrolean delicacy that gives the dish a smoky and savoury flavour, is another well-liked alternative.

Here are some tasty and healthy risottos

Even risottos can be nutritious and light without sacrificing flavour or presentation. Here are some intriguing dishes in this context.

A complete dish with asparagus fern

Risotto with asparagus fern is actually a classic risotto, so much so that you can find ready-made versions in the supermarket. Asparagus fern acts as the main seasoning and at the same time as a garnish. After a short blanching, a part of the asparagus fern is used in cooking the rice, while the remaining part is added at the end. The creaming usually takes place with butter and Parmesan cheese (or Grana).

Nettle and Liquorice Risotto

Nettle and Liquorice Risotto is an interesting recipe. First of all because it enhances nettle, a herb that does not enjoy a good reputation but can give a lot of satisfaction, thanks to its aromatic and full-bodied notes. Secondly, it offers an interesting combination with liquorice.

Nettle and liquorice risotto, as I presented it, is also very creamy. In fact, the nettles are blended with onions before being integrated into the rice.

Mountain Pine Risotto

Mountain pine risotto is a particularly interesting and healthy variation of the traditional Italian dish. Mountain pine, an aromatic herb that is rarely used in traditional cuisine, is actually a precious ingredient thanks to its high content of antioxidants, vitamins, and mineral salts, which not only provide health benefits but also a unique aroma and flavour to the dish.

In this recipe, mountain pine is not only an aromatic element but also actively participates in the creaming phase of the risotto together with the butter, helping to create a particular creaminess and intensity of flavour. This combination of natural and flavour-rich ingredients emphasises the freshness and purity of the dish, making risotto with mountain pine a tasty and intriguing option.

The most experimental risottos

We now present a few experimental risottos that suggest unconventional pairings and can convey flavours that range from bitter to fragrant and from sweet to salty.

Gorgonzola cheese and hops in risotto

Risotto with hops and gorgonzola is one that will impress your guests. The hop flowers are used, which can be made edible with a quick sauté in the pan. In this case, it serves as an ingredient alongside the onion in the sauté.

The risotto has a really lovely, highly aromatic, and somewhat bitter flavour from the hop blossoms. Gorgonzola cheese is added in the marinade, which gives the meal a sweet and sour taste.

A recipe with strawberries and apple cider

Rice is cooked in hot water without the use of broth in this strawberry risotto. Additionally, apple cider rather than white wine is used, which ensures a particularly sweet and acidic component.

The rice is then added to the tomato sauce, which is lightly salted for the occasion, and strawberries, which act as an elegant garnish.

Risotto with prickly pears and caciocavallo cheese

The risotto with prickly pears and caciocavallo cheese focuses on a particular and substantially new combination.

The peels of the prickly pears are used, which are cleaned and sautéed in a pan with sage, and then added at the end as a garnish. The pulp is blended and added to the rice at the end of cooking. The caciocavall cheese, on the other hand, is cut into cubes and used for creaming.

Smoked risotto with lapsang tea and sea bream

Smoked risotto with lapsang tea would be a hit in the most creative and gourmet restaurants; after all, dishes that combine tea and fish are rare, if not unheard of. Black lapsang tea is characterized by its intense flavour and is used to season the broth, so it acts in a certain sense as a support for cooking the rice. The sea bream, on the other hand, is cooked in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and used as a garnish at the end.

The greatest risotto recipes that are silky and creamy

Risottos can have a smooth, creamy texture. This category is highly liked by both adults and kids, and it finds its place in elegant menus as well as in everyday nutrition.

Pumpkin risotto

Pumpkin risotto is a classic Italian dish and is also very creamy. The creaminess comes from the pumpkin, which flakes easily and gives a very soft texture to the rice.

There are many variations of pumpkin risotto, but I prefer the simplest one, supported by a light creaming of butter and Parmesan, with the addition of a little parsley.

Pesto risotto

It is a really simple risotto that entrusts a good part of its organoleptic yield to the pesto. The pesto is prepared separately and added at the end of cooking to replace the butter and cheese (creaming ingredients).

While the traditional basil pesto is perfectly acceptable, you can also experiment with other pestos, such as that of dried tomato, pepper, or carrot.

Risotto with turnip tops

Risotto with turnip tops stands out for its full-bodied, aromatic, and slightly bitter flavour. It is also a very creamy risotto, as the turnip tops are blended before being added to the rice.

I’ve included a variation on the site that includes tuna and anchovies. The tuna is added as a garnish at the end, after it has been lightly braised, and the anchovies are blended with the turnip tops.

Some gluten-free and lactose-free risotto recipes

And what about recipes for coeliacs and lactose-intolerant people? In reality, all risottos can be transformed into first courses suitable for those who suffer from these disorders. In fact, coeliacs do not have to worry about anything since rice is gluten-free in itself; after all, it is used as an alternative to pasta.

Conversely, those who are lactose sensitive can choose more mature (lactose-free) cheeses, being mindful of the creaming.

In this sense, substituting clarified butter—which has no lactose at all—for traditional butter, which has some lactose, is adequate. Even people who do not have dietary intolerances should make this decision. In fact, clarified butter is characterized by a more delicate flavour that does not overshadow the other ingredients.

Risottos FAQs

What is the best type of rice?

The best rice for risottos is the Carnaroli rice. This type of rice does not overcook and can withstand long cooking times; in short, it is ideal for absorbing the flavours of the seasoning. Other varieties used are Roma rice and Arborio rice.

How many grams of rice do you need for one person?

The grams of rice per person depend on the amount of seasoning. If the risotto requires a heavy seasoning, 60-70 grams per person are fine. Otherwise, you can even serve 90 grams per person.

What is Roma rice used for?

Roma rice is a variety that stands out for its compactness, which it acquires after cooking. For this reason, it is used for timbales and arancini (Italian deep-fried rice balls). However, Roma rice absorbs liquids and flavours well, so it can be used for risottos if Carnaroli rice is not available.

What is Arborio rice used for?

Because arborio rice softens easily and has a high starch content, it’s perfect for creamier risottos.

Which rice has the lowest glycaemic index?

Basmati rice has the lowest glycaemic index of any rice variety. Similar to Asian cuisines, this type is best served plain, especially when used as a side dish. This kind of rice is not the best for risottos because it does not absorb flavours and liquids properly.

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