--- title: "Risotto: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Risotto is Italian rice cooked by adding hot stock a little at a time while stirring, until creamy but with a bite. See the ratio and the finishing step." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/risotto" --- # Risotto Risotto is Italian rice cooked by adding hot stock a little at a time while stirring, until creamy but with a bite. See the ratio and the finishing step. Also called Risotti. Risotto is an Italian rice dish. Short-grain rice is fried in fat, then cooked by adding hot [stock](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stock) a ladle at a time while you stir. The starch from the rice thickens the liquid, so the dish turns creamy without cream. The grains stay [al dente](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/al-dente), with a slight bite in the center. ## How to do it 1. Keep about 1 to 1.25 liters (4 to 5 cups) of stock at a bare simmer in a separate pot for every 300 g (1½ cups) of rice. 2. Cook a finely chopped onion or shallot in butter or oil until soft and clear. 3. Add risotto rice, such as arborio or carnaroli, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the grains are hot and coated. 4. Add a glass of white wine to [deglaze](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/deglaze) and stir until it is gone. 5. Add a ladle of hot stock and stir until most is absorbed. Repeat, keeping the rice at a lively simmer. This takes 16 to 20 minutes. 6. When the rice is just al dente, take it off the heat. Beat in cold butter and grated Parmesan for a minute. This step is called _mantecatura_, and it works much like [monter au beurre](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/monter-au-beurre). 7. Rest for 1 to 2 minutes and serve. ## How to tell it is done The grains are tender with a small firm center. The risotto is loose enough to spread slowly into a wave when you shake the plate, called _all'onda_ in Italian. It should not stand in a stiff mound. ## Common mistakes * Cold stock. It stops the cooking each time and makes it gluey. * Rinsing the rice. You wash away the starch that makes it creamy. * Adding all the stock at once. That gives a [pilaf](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pilaf)\-like dish, not a risotto. * Overcooking. The rice turns to porridge. * Letting it sit. It keeps thickening. Serve it right away. ## In recipes Risotto is usually named after its main flavor: _risotto alla milanese_ uses saffron, _risotto ai funghi_ uses mushrooms. Additions are cooked separately or added near the end. Leftover risotto is often shaped into balls, filled with cheese, and fried as _arancini_. Cool leftovers quickly and eat them within a day, because cooked rice can carry bacteria that survive reheating. ## Risotto recipes 15 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Spring-Asparagus-Risotto-7.jpg)Spring Asparagus Risottowww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/spring-asparagus-risotto/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/2013/04/Cheesy-Black-Bean-Risotto.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Cheesy Black Bean Risottopinchofyum.com · 35 min](https://pinchofyum.com/cheesy-black-bean-risotto) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Barramundi-with-Risotto-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Creamy Tomato Risotto with Pan Fried Barramundipinchofyum.com · 60 min](https://pinchofyum.com/creamy-tomato-risotto-pan-fried-barramundi) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/mushroom-risotto-recipe-1.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Garlic Butter Mushroom Risottopinchofyum.com · 40 min](https://pinchofyum.com/garlic-butter-mushroom-risotto) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Scallops-Over-Wilted-Spinach-Parmesan-Risotto_1-3.jpg)Scallops over Wilted Spinach Parmesan Risottowww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/seared-scallops-over-wilted-spinach-and/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_9106-copy-copy.jpg)Carrot Rice Leek Risotto with Baconwww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/carrot-rice-leek-risotto-with-bacon/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Instant-Pot-Prosciutto-Pea-and-Herb-Risotto-9.jpg)Instant Pot Risotto with Prosciutto, Peas, and Herbswww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/instant-pot-risotto-with-prosciutto-peas-and-herbs/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/roasted-butternut-squash-risotto.jpeg?fit=225%2C225)Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sugared Walnutspinchofyum.com · 75 min](https://pinchofyum.com/roasted-butternut-squash-risotto-with-sugared-walnuts) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/Quinoa-Risotto-12.jpg)Quinoa Risottowww.skinnytaste.com · 15 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/quinoa-risotto-525-pts/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2019/04/risotto-recipe.jpg)Spring Risotto with Asparagus & Peaswww.onceuponachef.com · 45 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/spring-risotto-with-asparagus-peas.html) * [![](https://minimalistbaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Vegan-Risotto-Mushrooms-SQUARE.jpg)Mushroom and Leek Risotto (Vegan + GF)minimalistbaker.com · 30 min](https://minimalistbaker.com/mushroom-and-leek-risotto/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Oven-Risotto-Square.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Oven Risotto with Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Arugulapinchofyum.com · 40 min](https://pinchofyum.com/oven-risotto-with-garlic-roasted-mushrooms-and-arugula) ## Related terms * [Al denteAl dente is Italian for to the tooth. It describes pasta or vegetables cooked until tender but still firm in the center, with a slight bite when you chew.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/al-dente) * [StockStock is an unsalted liquid made by simmering bones, vegetables and aromatics in water for hours. It is the base of soups, sauces, gravy and risotto.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stock) * [PilafPilaf is rice toasted in fat, then cooked in seasoned stock so every grain stays separate and fluffy. See the ratio, the timing and why you should rest it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pilaf) * [PaellaPaella is a Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide, shallow pan with saffron, stock and meat or seafood. See how to get the crisp bottom called socarrat.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/paella) * [DeglazeTo deglaze is to pour liquid into a hot pan and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Those bits become the flavor base of a quick pan sauce.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/deglaze) * [Monter au beurreMonter au beurre means swirling cold butter into a warm sauce at the end of cooking. It makes a pan sauce glossy, silky and slightly thicker in a minute.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/monter-au-beurre) [More in dishes](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/dishes)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)