40 risotto recipes (2024)

Freekeh risotto with spring greens

Freekeh is made from cracked, roasted green wheat. It works well for risotto as the grains keep their bite when cooked, and it's under 300 kcals.

Watercress and asparagus emmer risotto

Emmer is an ancient wholegrain which works well in this creamy risotto with spring greens, pecorino and white wine.

Spring risotto

A super green risotto is perfect for packing in veggies while tucking into a bowl of comfort.

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Vegetable risotto

A green-speckled risotto, made vibrant with peas, baby spinach and asparagus. Chives, mint, lemon zest and pecorino add extra bursts of flavour, too.

Vegan risotto

Fennel, courgette, peas and parsley make for a wonderfully green risotto. This one is flavoured with a little nutritional yeast in place of parmesan, to keep it plant-based.

Pea, courgette and artichoke barley risotto

Barley is a great alternative to normal risotto rice, and when paired with pea, courgette and artichoke, makes for a delicious summery dish that feels indulgent but is under 300 calories. If you're looking for a low calorie vegetarian meal, here are our ideas.

Pea and ham risotto

This risotto combines tender ham hock flakes with sweet frozen peas, brilliant for a summery Italian dish to enjoy outdoors.

Check out more of the best ham hock recipes.

Pea risotto

This veggie risotto is simple, bright and packed with plenty of fresh and zesty flavours. It’s a welcoming dish at any time of year.

Cheddar and spring onion risotto with balsamic tomatoes

Try our creamy risotto oozing with mature cheddar cheese topped with pan-fried cherry tomatoes bursting with flavour.

Smoked ham hock and barley risotto primavera

The best recipe for slow-cooked risotto. First cook the ham hock then shred the meat and create this indulgent (but quite easy) barley risotto. The spring veg work a treat with the ham. Worth every bit of effort.

Leek and parmesan risotto

Our seriously simple risotto recipe is ideal for meat-free Monday. Spring onion and leek risotto is cooked traditionally in white wine and topped with parmesan.

Chicken risotto with beans & kale

Broad beans are in season from June to September, and this recipe for creamy but fresh barley risotto with chicken, beans and kale is a great way to make the most of them while you can.

Courgette risotto

A fresh and creamy risotto which makes the most of baby courgettes. It's also flavoured with mint, lemon and plenty of salty parmesan. Check out more of our best risotto recipes.

Orzo risotto with cavolo nero, peas and chilli

Check out this creamy veg risotto with cavolo nero, crunchy peas and punchy chilli. Make this quick and easy recipe for a warming midweek meal. Plus, it's low in calories too.

Crab risotto with spinach and peas

Make our vibrant crab risotto, with lots of green goodness from peas and spinach. This is a low-calorie dinner for the whole family.

Vegetable risotto verde

Check out this show-stopping risotto verde recipe. It's low calorie and a great way to feed a crowd. Full of seasonal summer veg this dish has under 450 calories per serving. More vegetarian meal ideas here.

Hot-smoked salmon, dill and lemon risotto

You don't have to spend hours cooking to make something delicious. This hot-smoked salmon, dill and lemon risotto is full of light, fresh flavours and is ready in just 30 minutes. We've got some great ideas for recipes that use up leftover red wine here.

Chicken risotto

Cook a dinner you can count on tonight with our simple, warming dish. This easy risotto recipe comes flavoured with chicken thighs, smoked bacon lardons and plenty of parmesan.

Tomato risotto

Topped with shredded basil and parmesan, this comforting tomato risotto is singing with Italian flavours.

Porcini and spinach risotto

Dried porcini mushrooms are a really useful ingredient to keep in your store cupboard. Added to this creamy risotto with fresh mushrooms and spinach they give a deeply savoury concentrated flavour. A smart quick vegetarian supper for two.

Prawn risotto

This comforting risotto utilises the entire crustacean, as the shells form a rich seafood stock for the rice to absorb before incorporating the plump cooked prawns.

Black seafood risotto

Check out this seafood-packed risotto, featuring clams, mussels, squid and langoustines. It comes from the kitchens of Covent Garden’s Ave Mario.

Saffron risotto

This soothing risotto is delicious on its own, or served with a roast chicken and the roasting juices from the tin. An impressive entertaining idea, if you've got friends round for dinner.

Butternut squash risotto

Indulgent but easy enough for weeknights. This butternut squash risotto with sage will hit the spot when you need Italian comfort food. Ready in half an hour.

Mushroom risotto

Try our creamy mushroom risotto recipe with zesty lemon. This quick veggie risotto dish is easy to make and ready in 35 minutes.

Leek risotto

Fried anchovy and breadcrumbs top this leek risotto, made beautifully creamy thanks to parmesan, butter and cream.

Baked bolognese risotto

If you like bolognese and risotto, then you'll love our baked bolognese recipe with risotto. This hearty dish is super easy to make and will soon become a firm family favourite. Try our baked bolognese sauce for an easy dinner idea.

Scallop and prawn risotto

Our recipe for scallop and prawn risotto is easy to make but looks and tastes impressive. Make it as part of a dinner party to really impress your guests. Here are some individual pudding recipes to serve as dessert.

Jerusalem artichoke risotto

Check out our risotto recipe with Jerusalem artichokes and chopped hazelnuts. This simple one-pot is an easy, midweek winter warmer recipe for the whole family.

Spelt and mushroom risotto

Try this creamy risotto uses pearled spelt as a healthier alternative to classic risotto rice and dried porcini mushrooms for a more intense flavour.

Mushroom risotto with wild rice roast garlic

This recipe for wild rice and mushroom risotto with roast garlic is vegetarian, low salt and sugar and under 500 calories but packed with flavour.

Vegan mushroom risotto

Typically laden with butter and cheese, risotto is well known for its comforting and indulgent qualities. Here we've invented a much lighter (and totally vegan) option that still packs in plenty of umami flavours.

Check out more mushroom recipes.

Brown-buttered crab risotto

Our indulgent recipe for brown-buttered crab risotto is really easy to make and ready in just 35 minutes, making it a great option midweek.

Sausage, radicchio and barolo risotto

A stylish but fuss-free one-pot that delivers on flavour – perfect for your next dinner party. If you don't want to go to the expense of using barolo, use another sturdy Italian red.

Wild mushroom and taleggio risotto cake

This wild mushroom and taleggio risotto cake is easy but looks impressive and serves a crowd. This recipe makes a great vegetarian dinner party dish, here are more vegetarian entertaining ideas.

Quail, confit garlic and celeriac risotto

Try this easy but impressive recipe for quail, confit garlic and celeriac risotto from Oldroyd's in Islington.

Beetroot risotto

Brighten up your risotto with beetroot for an easy vegetarian meal topped with goat's cheese and walnuts.

Bacon and roasted tomato risotto

This comforting risotto is ready in just 30 minutes and can be made using ingredients you may already have in your fridge and store cupboard - perfect to whip up after work.

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Radicchio and pancetta risotto

Radicchio and pancetta are a classic Italian pairing. Sharp and salty, they have been brought together to complement this creamy risotto, which can be whipped up for a quick midweek dinner.

For more midweek meals, try one of our stew recipes

FAQs

What is the secret to a good risotto? ›

Always use warm stock.

Warming the broth before adding it to the warm rice coaxes more starch out of each grain of rice and helps prevent it from overcooking. Cool broth takes longer to warm up in the risotto pan and may shock the grain into holding onto its starches while the rice itself continues to cook.

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How much risotto rice for 20 people? ›

As a general rule, 60g per person is perfect for a starter, light meal, or if you've bulked out the dish with other ingredients. For more generous portions, go with 75g each. Whatever type of risotto you're making, use piping hot stock – it means the grains will start to soften and cook straight away.

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What is the secret ingredient in risotto? ›

Use Salted Water Instead of Broth in Risotto

It's an ingenious tip on many levels.

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How do restaurants get risotto so fast? ›

The key, instead, is to undercook the risotto and cool it rapidly to prevent that rice from overcooking, so you can easily finish cooking it later.

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What is the best broth for risotto? ›

I prefer the flavor of chicken broth or stock in risotto. If you're vegetarian, vegetable broth or stock will be just fine. I use regular broth for this recipe and not low-sodium, if you use low sodium just be sure to taste test and add more salt at the end as needed. Parmesan cheese.

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How much rice do I need for 40 people? ›

On average, a standard serving of cooked rice is around 1/2 to 3/4 cup per person. To achieve this serving size, you would need about 2 1/2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of dry rice per person.

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Do you add cold or hot water to risotto? ›

It seems obvious to say it, but to prepare a good risotto you can simply use water. Of course, it needs to be boiled water because you can't add cold water to a risotto while cooking. It must also be salted to give flavor and sapidity.

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Should you cover risotto when cooking? ›

Because risotto is cooked uncovered on the stovetop, a lot of liquid evaporates. Plan on about three times as much liquid as rice. And that liquid should be stock of some sort. Chicken stock is the staple, but use whatever stock you prefer — beef, vegetable, seafood.

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Why do you put butter in risotto? ›

The concept of mantecare, (the verb form of mantecatura) is an Italian cooking essential, one that's crucial to risotto. It comes from the Spanish word for butter and means to gently work something—usually a dish—into a creamy consistency by blending in some sort of fat or butter.

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What to add to risotto to make it taste better? ›

Sautéed shallots, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and thyme are used to build a robust and flavorful foundation on which arborio rice and hot stock are melded. With each stir of the spoon, the starches thicken, and the earthy essence of the mushrooms builds depth of flavor.

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Why do you put vinegar in risotto? ›

Try adding sherry vinegar for mushroom risotto, white or red wine vinegar in place of white or red wine, or even rice or apple cider vinegar to boost the taste in asparagus risotto. Just be sure not to overdo it. A little vinegar goes a long way — remember, you're looking for balance, not a sour, overpowering tang.

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How do Italians serve risotto? ›

In Italy, risotto is often celebrated as a standalone dish, especially when it's seasoned with robust flavors from meat, cheese, or fish sauce like risotto with crabs. However, there are rare occasions when risotto might share its glory with another delicacy, like the classic pairing of risotto Milanese and osso buco.

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Should you stir risotto as it cooks? ›

When cooking risotto on a stovetop, you're required to periodically stir it to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Some people, however, stir it too frequently. This adds air into the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey.

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What can I add to risotto to make it taste better? ›

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What are the characteristics of a good risotto? ›

First off, it should be saucy in texture. A perfect plate of risotto should flow like lava if you tilt the plate. Spoon it onto a hot dish (and you must use a hot dish), and it should slowly spread out until it forms a perfectly level disk.

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What does vinegar do in risotto? ›

Using beef broth for the risotto was a new twist for us (we always use chicken broth and white wine), but it gives the creamy risotto this amazingly rich, earthy heft. And the white balsamic vinegar adds an invigorating pungency-- almost a mildly sour note, but in a really good way -- to the dish.

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What is most important when making risotto rice or technique? ›

The most important thing when preparing risotto is choosing the right rice, since long or sushi grains won't work. One chef favorite: carnaroli rice. Many recipes call for arborio, but longer-grained carnaroli is key to that sought-after creaminess (plus it's harder to overcook).

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