I’ve always struggled with risotto, the classic Northern Italian rice dish that gets creamy from slow cooking in broth. Even when I’ve accepted the work involved — most recipes tell you to separately have a pot of warm broth and to ladle it in, stirring, for the better part of an hour — the flavor, which often tastes odd to me when I used non-homemade broth, or the texture, which seems perfect for about 5 minutes and then often too gloppy, throws me. And yet it’s one of the coziest things to make in the winter, and can even be used to distract children who believe that pasta is the only acceptable carb. The last year, as I’ve spent much time looking around my kitchen for simpler approaches to our favorite foods as we’ve been home for almost all of our meals [see: these tacos, this bolognese, this roast chicken, these cookies, this galette], I’ve realized that almost everything I believed was mandatory about risotto is not, and you can make this golden, cozy, rich bowl ignoring every “rule.” Lucky us.
Without further ado, here are four moderately controversial opinions about risotto:
- You don’t need to stir and you don’t need to make it on a stovetop. Risotto is creamy because the rice varieties used are starchy and due to the larger amount of liquid used to cook it, and it will get this way even if you’re not ladling in half a cup of hot stock at a time and stirring vigorously the whole time. These days I put it in the oven, walk away, and do whatever I’d like with the cooking time, and I’d like a refund on all the stirring time in previous cooking years.
- It’s better with water than a storebought stock. Risotto tends to concentrate flavors, and while the processed ingredients a boxed stock work fine in many complex soups, there are so few other flavors in risotto that I often find a tinny or off taste when I them exclusively as the liquid. With water, I find the other flavors I add more clear and pronounced, so a parmesan risotto like this one really tastes like parmesan.
- There isn’t one single exactly correct liquid measurement. Years of watching contestants struggle on Top Chef with risotto ingrained in my head that perfectly cooked risotto should, when spooned onto a plate, puddle a bit, and not remain in a heap, and that even the best chefs struggle with this because the amount of liquid required almost always requires some adjusting at the end. You, however, will not because because whatever judges you have around your table already unconditionally love everything you make (lol) and also because you’ve read this first.
- Vegetables on the side > vegetables in a risotto: When risotto is amazing, it’s because there’s a wonderful softness to the rice and a rich flavor. I’ve made a lot of mushroom, spring pea, and asparagus and/or greens risottos over the years before I realize I prefer my risottos uncluttered. Not only do I eat far more vegetables on the side than the couple ounces I could squeeze into a few cups of risotto, they’re almost always better when neither risotto-flavored nor textured. I love meals with contrast. Let risotto be risotto — creamy and luxe — and crisp sautéed mushrooms, garlicky greens, lemony, minty peas either spooned on top at the end or nestled alongside the creamy rice.
Previously
6 months ago: Mathilde’s Tomato Tart
1 year ago: Roasted Squash and Tofu with Ginger
2 years ago: Plush Coconut Cake
3 years ago: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
4 years ago: Chocolate Dutch Baby
5 years ago: Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta Cake and Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
6 years ago: Key Lime Pie and Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
7 years ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins and Warm Lentil and Potato Salad
8 years ago: Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic
9 years ago: Buttermilk Roast Chicken
10 years ago: Baked Potato Soup
11 years ago: Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed Crema and Cranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond Cake
12 years ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
13 years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad and Fried Chicken
14 years ago: Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
Parmesan Oven Risotto
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) olive oil or unsalted butter
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine, 1/3 cup (80 ml) dry vermouth, or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine or champagne vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A couple parmesan rinds, if you have (optional, see Note)
- 5 cups (1.2 liters) water
- 1 cup (195 grams) uncooked arborio, carnaroli, or another short-grained rice, such as sushi rice
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter, divided
- 3/4 to 1 cup (about 85 to 90 grams) grated parmesan cheese
Make risotto: In 4-quart Dutch oven or deep, oven-safe saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
If you’re using parmesan rinds and have 10 minutes to spare: Add wine or vinegar to onion and garlic and cook until it boils off. Add water, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and your parmesan rinds and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover pot, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. This gives the rinds a chance to infuse the broth a bit more deeply before making the risotto. Leave the rinds in the pot, add the rice, and give it a stir. Replace the lid, and transfer the pot to the oven.
If you’re not using parmesan rinds, or you’re using them but are in more of a hurry: Add rice to onion and garlic mixture and cook, toasting gently, for 2 minutes. Add wine or vinegar to rice mixture and cook until it boils off. Add 5 cups water, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and parmesan rinds (if using) and bring mixture to a simmer. Place lid on pot and transfer to the oven.
Both methods: Bake risotto in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed, but it looks a tiny bit watery.
To finish: Transfer pan to a trivet or cooling rack on your counter. Remove lid, fish out and discard parmesan rinds, and stir mixture for 2 minutes, or until the mixture looks more creamy and risotto-like. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to your taste. Add most (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) of the butter to the risotto and stir well to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese to finish, and add the rest — using the smaller amount for a moderate parmesan flavor and the larger amount for a more robust one, stirring to just combine.
To serve: Scoop into a serving bowl. Finish with remaining pat of butter, more black pepper, and reserved cheese.
I can’t wait to make this! I always add parmesan rinds to your chickpea pasta and it’s fabulous – I forgot once and the difference was really noticeable.
I’m making this risotto later in the week, but I do wonder if there’s too much liquid? I make the mushroom version of this risotto all the time, and there’s 4 cups of broth to 1.5 cups of arborio rice.
http://www.oprah.com/food/baked-risotto-with-bacon-and-peas-recipe
I had to cook it a bit on the stovetop because it was rather liquidy (new cooking term!) but it was fine when done. Tender rice, great texture, fantastic flavour.
I have never seen more second helpings of risotto and heard “best I’ve ever had” more than with this risotto. Thanks for challenging the rules!!
I agree with the other comments that there was too much liquid. I’ve made another oven risotto and it had only 4 cups of liquid which seemed to be a better amount for one cup of rice.
For anyone interested, I made this today with a short grain brown rice. I found another recipe that had you boil the rice for 10-15 (I did 15) min before making the risotto.
It worked really well. I was a little unsure of water measurements since there were comments that 5 c was too much and I was boiling the rice ahead of time. I started with about 3 1/2 c, and I ended up adding another 1/2. Next time I’d start with 4. It’s delicious and worked beautifully with the brown rice.
This was really good. I used 1can less sodium chicken broth and water to equal 4 1/2 c liquid. I used then parmasean rinds. I think its a must! Cookwd about 34 mins. Excellent!!
this was so delicious! I made it the long way, and used 4 1/2 cups of water, and it was perfect. I served with sauteed mushrooms on top
Are the proportions the same if I double this? I’m so excited to try it but I’m cooking for 7-8 people every night.
Yes, and wow!
You can give Risotto the creamy texture and presentation the best Italian chefs achieve by stiring in a quarter cup of fresh cream just before serving. Transformational. ..😊 ..!
That sounds like a great idea. I wonder how it would taste with coconut milk or cream?
I will try it and see,
Umm…maybe save the coconut milk for the Asian-inspired dishes?
That sound delicious. Never thought of adding a touch of cream.
Or Marscapone! I have a few recipes that call for it at the end.
Hi Deb! I am making this today, but I will be doing everything on the stovetop, as I don’t want to switch in the oven. I will be just putting the rinds in along with the first cupful of water, and removing them just before raking thebphe pot off the heat. I figure it’s the same as infusing beforehand? Anyway, I will come back with feedback!
So, yes, I made it that way, and it was phenomenal. The whole house smelt like a trattoria, the risotto was restaurant worthy. Thank you so much!!! ❤️💕💞
Can I cut the recipe in half or thirds? If so, would I just reduce the ingredients proportionally? What about the cooking time?
There are just the two of us and we don’t want lots of leftovers.
I am so glad I hadn’t clicked “submit” on my grocery order yet! Just added everything I need to make this!
Debs this sounds delicious but is there any way I could make it dairy free? My husband loves risotto but he is lactose intolerant. Would sheep’s cheese work as a substitute?
Not sure if you’re aware, but aged parmesan has only a minute amount of lactose; so much that it is generally considered to be lactose-free.
Correct :)
This was delicious! I found that it was too watery after the designated cook time so I drained off the excess liquid and then finished with the last step. I’ll definitely use less water next time.
If sheep milk cheese is not a problem, I think you could sub in pecorino romano with great results!
My husband is extremely lactose intolerant, and he can eat real, aged parmesean and cheddar with zero issues.
A great idea! I’ll admit, my favorite risotto recipe is done in the *microwave*! I know, blasphemy. It’s a Cooking Light recipe from years ago, infinitely riff-able, I love it. But I’d love to try an even *less* hands-on version!
A different Ellen, posting the inverse question from the previous Ellen – how do you adapt this for a single portion? (I am a pandemic pod of one.) When I make stovetop risotto I use 1/4 C arborio rice and stir in 2 C of liquid, which takes about 20 minutes. How much liquid would I need for 1/4 C of rice when cooking in the oven? Thanks!
This is not Deb, but if you truly want only one portion, maybe divide everything by 4? Personally, I would cut everything in half so that you can have leftovers for the next day, but I love risotto. :)
(I have a fondness for leftover risotto, panfried until it gets a nice golden crust, so I would just halve the recipe and have a nice lunch the next day!)
Yes, risotto patties are fabulous! As are leftovers, of course.
I’ve been one for many, many years. I manage to eat ALL the leftovers. Risotto is good cold or reheated. Just a suggestion!
Thanks for these replies. I like to keep it to one portion because I never enjoy it as much re-heated. Pan-fried might be a nice alternative.
Fellow single cook here. Arancini (Italian fried rice balls) are really delicious and use cold risotto rice. You can add an egg yolk to the rice to bind it, make a rice ball, push a chunk of mozzarella inside (or they’re still good without) and close it, then dredge in flour, roll in the reserved egg white and coat in breadcrumbs. Then fry them. They’re nice dipped in a tomato sauce.
I love arancini…they don’t always quite work out, but even if they fall apart, they are SO GOOD.
This was very delicious but I had the same issues as the other where it was too much liquid, I had to cook it for 50 min total so the rice got a overblown by the time the liquid reduced. I still went with it and it was more like a porridge but I served it with beef ragu so it was fine. I don’t think the recipe is wrong it’s just very dependent on your pot. I used a 4 qt Dansk enameled pot that was less wide so I think it took too long for the right rate of evaporation (I also did the infused broth so it was hot when I put it in the oven so that wasn’t an issue), deb’s pot looks more like a wide and shallow Dutch oven which would evaporate at a much faster rate. I would use 3.5-4 cups next time or use a 6 qt pot for more surface area at the bottom.
I suspect it depends on the type of rice and its age, and your oven’s performance at the temp. Deb recommends.
Serious Eats did an article on how much heat an oven loses just w opening a door (50 degree drop)
I’ve never made risotto before but I’ve been really wanting to and this looks delicious! I have a new Dutch oven to use, plus all of the ingredients on hand! However, could this be made on the stove? I plan on making your roast chicken and cabbage recipe this weekend and I was thinking this would be a good side dish but my oven isn’t big enough for both.
Thanks ahead of time!
Yes, but on the stove you’ll want to stir it from time to time.
Forgive me, but I am a bit confused about the amount of white wine or dry vermouth or white wine vinegar/champagne vinegar: all of those? Choose one–but the liquid amounts are so different? This sounds delish and I can’t wait to try it–especially the “not stir in liquid for an hour” portion. Thanks!!
Yes choose just one and the difference in the amounts of liquids is due to the wine having to be reduced as does to a lesser extent the vermouth whilst the vinegar is simply added without reducing.
Thank you! :)
Whenever I have wine in a recipe, someone asks how to make it without and I suggest a splash of vinegar, so this time I wrote it in from the top. Vinegar is more robust; you need less of it. Vermouth is more robust in flavor than wine; so ditto.
Thanks for clarifying this! I never realized that vermouth was not a one for one swap for dry white wine. I’ve also subbed Lillet a couple times lately because that’s what was open 😬. Weird?
I’ve been making oven risotto since a grad school classmate taught me the lazy way, and I’m looking forward to trying this! Do you recommend leaving the Parmesan rind in one big piece (the ones I buy are roughly the size of my hand), or breaking it up a bit?
I would have thought Lillet would be too sweet, but if it works, great! ( not to contradict you Deb) I don’t often have extra white wine open,I always sub vermouth one to one in my cooking. It seems to just fine. My sister lived in Florence and was taught there how to make traditional risotto always with vermouth, so I have deferred to her advice. :)I have made risotto in my Instant Pot and it was pretty good. I’m excited to try this oven version, it’s normally too much stirring for me with my chronic tennis elbow.
Would rice or apple cider vinegar work? I can’t drink any wine/wine derivative.
I think any vinegar would work. Just keep in mind that the flavor will be strong as the liquid is almost entirely evaporated. Since it is the acidity that is required, I might even try lemon juice. You can even add some of the lemon zest at the end when adding the cheese, for a lovely lemon and parm risotto.
I had the same questions. Thanks for asking, and thanks for those who answered.
The ingredients list 5 cups of water but the directions say add 4 cups if you’re not infusing the parm rinds. Which amount is correct? Thanks! I can’t wait to try this because I hate bothering with the broth and stirring too!
I’m so sorry — it should say 5 cups, i.e. all of it. Now fixed; hope it didn’t mess things up for you.
Thanks! I’ll be trying it tonight!
I made it and it was excellent! Thank you!
Yes! Sushi rice! I substituted sushi rice for arborio this past summer when I was making aracini and couldn’t find the arborio we had just bought. Now it’s all I use, I can buy 10 lbs of sushi rice for the price of 1 lb of arborio rice, so we can and do eat it all the time now.
Yup – I also made this discovery last year. I actually thought Deb was going to list that in her blasphemies. ;-)
This sounds like a good opportunity for “blender parm” à la Chris Morocco (measure block of parmesan by weight; drop in blender and buzz until “grated”). Save your knuckles! Use the time you would have spent grating to sip wine!
Thank You for sharing. I’m going to look for it.
This is so funny because I discovered oven risotto a few months ago and made it again tonight! The recipe is exactly the same except it only calls for 2 cups of stock or water and it’s ready in 15 mins… it’s really delicious so I’m intrigued to see whether this version is better. Knowing Deb it probably will be!
I totally agree with veggies on the side! I’m usually disappointed with risotto but that was until I found a recipe for smoked Gouda risotto, where you fold in an obscene about of grated smoked Gouda right at the end. It makes for the creamiest, richest bowl of comfort you could imagine!
Would Calrose rice work here? I’ve never cooked with it before, but me and my partner got two bags with an online shopping mistake.
I used Calrose rice for stovetop risotto before and it was good.
I always use calrose rice for risotto bc I am not Daddy Warbucks. I haven’t made this recipe but would feel totally comfortable making the substitution.
Deb, have you ever cooked on an AGA cooker? This method is the basis of cooking everything on that brilliant stove, where 70% of all food is cooked in one of the ovens. I was lucky enough to have one for six years, and found it completely intuitive to use. If you have a chance to cook on one, don’t pass it up!
Thank you for sharing this method. I can’t wait to make this — I am also one who avoided making risotto on the stovetop because it is simply too annoying.
I cooked on an AGA stove once — on a houseboat, for an article (they like to “challenge” their interviewees) when I was on a UK book tour in 2013. You didn’t ask that, though. It was an Experience! They’re not very popular here, but I am sure I’d love it. So robust.
That sounds so fun! I’ll bet that stove ran on coal. Those imported to the U.S. run on gas or electricity. Years ago I saw a picture of Martha Stewart next to the AGA in her kitchen. When I met her briefly at a book signing, I mentioned that I also had an AGA. She said, “I have five.”
Still, it’s the best stove I’ve ever had, and the ovens bake like no others. Imagine roasting a 30 lb turkey in half the normal amount of time, ending with crispy skin and the juiciest meat. It’s hard to stop the praises.
Obviously we just need AGA to sponsor me. (JK, SK doesn’t do sponsorships. But she also cannot afford an AGA.)
Deb, re the AGA stove –a Go Fund me account? You deserve one!
Hey! Northern Italian here, Milanese even :) Not only oven risotto is fine and I can’t wait to make this, but I grew up with my mom making extremely acceptable risotto in a pressure cooker.
I made this TWICE last week and I have to say it was pretty revelatory. My husband loves risotto, but I don’t always love spending 40 minutes stirring. I followed the recipe as is on my first attempt (worked great, a little liquid was left but I baked for another 5’ uncovered and it did the trick). I got a little bolder for the second dinner, and added fish stock + a 200 g diced salmon fillet right before baking. It turned out great: the risotto was creamy and the fish poached to perfection. I imagine sausage could work similarly, if that’s something you enjoy. I sent this recipe to my mom 🙂
I’m not Italian, but I’ve made a lot of risotto over the years. I’m surprised by Deb’s comment that you need to stir for an hour; Angela Hartnett (half Italian and wonderful chef) is vehement that a risotto should never take more than 30 minutes. Also, I believe (Italians would agree that) there is no one ‘correct’ consistency to risotto. I think it’s one of those dishes which has collected an undeserved veil of mystique – great way to blow that away, Deb!
My stove-top risotto takes 25 minutes tops – less time than it takes my oven to pre-heat.
According to Josh Cohen (https://food52.com/blog/16616-how-to-make-risotto-like-a-chef-and-without-a-recipe) it should take approx. 18 minutes of stirring–so 25 min. sounds about right for sautéing etc. And both Deb & Josh are spot on about water bringing out the flavor. We made shrimp risotto last night using 1/2 homemade lobster stock & half water. Grilled the shrimp & asparagus separately and we both agreed best risotto yet!
For years I’ve barely stirred my risottos, after watching Alton Brown do a test comparing constant stirring vs. little stirring. Same results! Basically same conclusion as you have come to, which is that the main thing is the absorption and not the stirring. And this recipe now removes the “adding broth bit by bit” part, which I’m here for! Can’t wait to try it.
I respect the move to the oven, but I’ve been making risotto in my stove top pressure cooker for years…. no stirring and it cooks in 6 minutes (SIX MINUTES!) It always comes out great.
I agree with using water and skipping the vegetables. Let risotto be risotto. Although I’m making an exception for mushrooms (a fungus is not a vegetable?) Because mushroom risotto doesn’t ruin the mushrooms.
I used the pressure cook setting on my instant pot and yes added mushrooms. It was very good!
Oh, fantastic! I decided on the veggies-on-the-side bit a few months ago, I’m so happy some of the other ‘musts’ can also be ignored.
Now I’m actually wondering if you could use a ‘hay box’ method of cooking instead of the oven:
When I make traditional Danish rice porridge (risengrød), I always just bring everything to a boil, then pack the pot up in some thick blankets and let it sit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour before putting it back on the stove for the finishing touches (takes about 5 minutes). Do you think that would work instead of using the oven?
First, I’m obsessed with Danish rice pudding. I have the Christmas version in Smitten Kitchen Every Day, and I didn’t have it this year (my BFF’s mom usually makes it) and I miss it dearly. I digress! I do think that method would work here too.
My Northern Italian Nonna made a risotto that was very similar to this, with the parmesan rinds, but with milk instead of water and I don’t think she used wine (risotto al latte). Very rich and creamy parmesan flavour. Not sure if this was a common thing or if she did it because of my Nonno’s digestive problems! Kind of like having “white” pasta with butter and parmesan when you’re sick. The other risotto she regularly made was a variation on risi e bisi, also with water as the main liquid, as well as peas and homemade wine and meat sauce. She did make them on the stovetop but I don’t think she ladled in the liquid separately.
As for me, I (blasphemously I’m sure) regularly make risi e bisi in the microwave with frozen peas.
During the pandemic, I watched a video of Mark Vetri cooking a simple stovetop parmigiana risotto with water. He may not have been entirely sober during it, but that only assisted with the freeing nature of what I followed. It was all about technique. No measuring anything at all. I learned that I’d been letting the pot get too gloppy dry between additions. It transformed my attitude about risotto. I will happily try your oven version soon, Deb. It will be interesting to compare the results. Delicious either way, I expect.
This!!!
“I’d like a refund on all the stirring time in previous cooking years”
Yes! :)
Love this new technique! I’ve made your sausage and tomato risotto a fair amount, but looking forward to trying this technique to finish it off – always love when you can get built in hands-off/clean-up time in a easy dinner!
This sounds amazing; we will be making it soon! I think we will make it exactly as described and add some sauteed mushrooms on top.
SO eerie that I came across this today while getting ingredients for the chocoflan recipe. Tonight I’m making shrimp risotto w the homemade lobster stock & parm stock in the freezer.
I’d planned on using Josh Cohen’s (Food 52) stovetop method as he pretty much iterates what you do about water & rice.
I’m giving your method a try; much to the disappointment of the gumbo man & my husband (he who stirs w/o complaint)!
QUESTIONS: what about homemade stocks in lieu of water (for seafood)?
Have you tried making risotto w left over whey???
Deb, as always LOVE your recipes and columns–look forward to them. Its what got me thru this past year!
First, thank you. Homemade stocks are great for risotto, especially mild ones. I haven’t tried one with whey, but I bet it would be great here. If my homemade stock is robust, I might use half water, half stock. But mostly I wanted to let everyone know that you can do a solid with just water, especially if you build a nice, well-seasoned base and throw in some rinds.
I’m definitely here for debunking the myth of constant stirring! I think the same goes for polenta. Even on the stovetop, I never worry about stirring these things overly much, I just give them an occasional poke as I go about doing other useful things.
You mention not using processed stock, but do you ever use homemade vegetable stock for this kind of thing? That’s my go-to, and I find it adds some nice flavor, and I’ve certainly never had a ‘tinny’ taste result from it.
Homemade stocks are great for risotto, especially mild ones. If mine is robust, I might use half water, half stock. But mostly I wanted to let everyone know that you can do a solid with just water, especially if you build a nice, well-seasoned base and throw in some rinds.
You’re going to get Italian pushback on this but I’ll give it a try. One famous chef, upon being asked for the recipe, stuttered, “Recipe?! There’s no recipe! Risotto is a way of life!”
Ha! I figured some people will yell at me and it’s totally fine. I’m making scandalous suggestions.
Deb, I absolutely love your complete and authoritative breakdown on risotto and previous risotto misconceptions. This post is what makes you, you. :)
I could not agree more with this comment more. YES.
We decided to give this recipe a try as an alternative to our usual go-to risotto that takes up valuable stove space. Overall, we really enjoyed the flavor! We skipped the rinds because we didn’t have any, and DID wind up replacing 4 cups of water with broth because my husband insisted that it isn’t risotto without broth. The main issue we had was that it took way longer than 30 minutes. At 40 minutes we finally took it out of the oven because we were getting hungry, but it was still a bit soupier than we prefer. Not sure what happened – maybe our oven temperature is off? Or maybe using broth changed the amount of time needed? Next time we will plan on a longer cooking time; however, taste-wise were very pleased.
Same here with the soupy ness! I took mine out after 30 minutes and it was swimming in water. Finished it up on the stove but it threw off my timing by adding frozen peas way to early. I’m also wondering if it’s an oven temp issue? Is my Dutch oven too insulating? Not sure!
I had the same problem! Followed the recipe but after 30 minutes in the oven it was still soup. Now trying to finish it on the stove. Maybe a pot or an oven issue for me? Not sure what went wrong.
Same problem. I finally had to pull it out of the oven and finish it on the stove because at 45 minutes it was still soupy, even after I cranked up the temperature a bit.
So, yes, it is true, you don’t need to constantly stir risotto! This was delicious and creamy, albeit much looser than my usual risotto. The ultimate comfort food. Also, I don’t typically add black pepper to finish my risotto – doing so made it taste like cacio e pepe – an added bonus! I will say that I didn’t find it that much “easier” than just being around the stove and giving it occasional stir, but it will be a nice variation to throw into my risotto rotation.
My cooking knowledge is limited and Smitten Kitchen is always my go-to when I’m searching for a well-vetted recipe. The one thing I feel like I do know is risotto, and I’ll share one secret. The key to great risotto is the rice — Carniroli works well, but Vialone Nano is the best. It creates a creamy risotto and the grains of rice cook evenly so that they have the same firm consistency all the way through.
This was a revelation! Excellent. Used my time wisely while the risotto was in the oven and it turned out great.
What a wonderful gift to us! You are adding to my hope for the new year—comfort food and comfort thinking. Thank you.
You are a genius! I always felt that risotto’s merits were oversold. I have made oven risotto before but even that made me roll my eyes a little until I further skewed it using barley in the same recipe and then I was pleased
I made this last night and it was delicious. One Parmesan rind, the vermouth and just 4 cups of water. Great texture and creaminess. However, I missed the flavour a good chicken broth brings to risotto.
Made this today, a frigid but sunny day in NJ, and it hit the spot. I had a big bag of parmigiano rinds in the freezer – I used five. I kept the risotto in the oven for 35 minutes and it was perfect. Added probably a full cup of parm because you can never have too much. Topped with some fresh parsley for fun. So delicious and easy to make!
I liked the flavor. But will absolutely reduce the liquid next time around.
Agreed, I thought 5 cups was just a bit too much. It also tasted a bit watery, like it would have benefitted from some nice stock.
This looks so good! Has anyone tried adding a pound of ground sausage to the rice? Wondering if I should add more water, or if the grease would be enough haha
Just made this. I love risotto but am too lazy to make it on the stove top and too cheap to pay for it in a restaurant. This solves my problem. It was easy, stress free, delicious creamy and lived up to all expectations. I will be making this again and again. Thank You!
Made this for dinner tonight with roasted brussel sprouts on the side and it was super delicious. Used 2 parmesan rinds and did the extra 10 minutes on the stove, 30 minutes in the oven, and it turned out perfectly, I would not change a thing. And it sat on the stove for 20 minutes waiting for the brussel sprouts with no issue.
I’m keen to make a risotto that’s less work. As far as veggies, I did enjoy beetroot risotto as well as one with red onions and red wine.
By far the best risotto I’ve ever made! It was delicious. The stock infused with Parmesan rinds really made it. No white wine available so used white wine vinegar.
I have converted to making risotto in the instant pot, saute onion and whatever flavours I want (mushrooms and rosemary are our usual), then add rice, stock close the lid and set for 5 minutes high pressure with 10 minutes natural release. stir through some cheese – done!
This looks like a wonderful way to make risotto as a side dish which is what most of us do as home cooks in N America. I am all about making polenta in the oven, too. Same goes with the number of ingredients and types/quantity of cooking liquid. BUT, I have to advocate on the behalf of flavored risotti that are traditionally served as stand-alone first courses, such as tart apple, or mushroom risotto in which the soaking liquid from softening dried porcini bits can sub for some of the homemade stock. Then there is creamy butternut squash risotto, and another version with the last of a great ragu stirred into a plain risotto towards the end, or to accompany osso bucco, Milanese risotto prepared just with really good stock, extra butter, extra Parmesan and saffron. FWIW, red wine is perfectly fine if you don’t have white and is excellent as the primary flavoring ingredient.
A bit pretentious, are we?
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! I followed the directions exactly and the result was perfect. So nice not to have to stand at the stove stirring for 30 minutes. Thanks for the great recipe. It was also great as a leftover for lunch today.
Turned out delisih! Made it with salmon topped with dijon/honey and everything bagel and it was a great accompaniment!
Am I the only one who loves the mindlessness of the constant stirring of risotto? It’s so soothing! This looks amazing, though- maybe I can find something else to mindlessly stir while making this….
I have never bought into the constant-stirring-risotto myth… my basic laziness and pragmatism probably prevented it. I make it on the stovetop, I prepare the broth with a water boiler and then just add larger amounts one at a time and only stir a little when most is absorbed, before I add the next bit. Works great and I get yummy results (but I am also not searching for the holy grail of texture, that probably helps, too). I love oven baked pumpkin added at the end of cooking, makes a very creamy risotto!
Hello. I do not have unsalted butter. Can I use regular? Thank you.
Yes, either.
I am so excited to try this! Risotto is such a lovely dish, but the time-consuming process of so many recipes has always been a barrier to trying it at home. Thanks for offering this alternative.
Would this same method work for brown rice a/o any other grain, like farro or barley?
I was going to make it last night but had no arborio rice. I made a clam chowder instead and not having any wine for acidity, I used champagne vinegar that I saw you used as an option for the risotto. Thanks so much for that tip!! My rice should arrive in a couple of days, looking forward to your method!
What other cheese would be good with this? My boyfriend is not a part fan (shocking, I know). Thanks
Made this tonight! Absolutely delicious, richly-flavoured risotto, and well worth the burned hand I got when I tried to stir the cooked rice after it came out of the oven. I crisped up some garlicky kale for the top, as well as a pile of mushrooms, and placed them all around. So. Good. I’ve never put a pat of butter on my risotto before and as much as that’s such a simple thing, I’m super pleased with the chance to learn a new technique for cooking risotto and some chef-y tips for garnish.
Absolutely love this recipe. I roasted shrimp with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Added those and trimmed fresh baby spinach leaves at the end. Served it to the Nevada attorney general in my restaurant and he raved over it!!
Will be my first attempt at risotto. Is one cup of rice really enough for 5 people?
Thanks!
It will expand to 5 cups. :)
Made this and loved it! I just can’t with traditional recipes and the stirring and additional pot (to wash!) of hot broth… this recipe worked as written for me. I cooked for the longer time (30 mins, maybe even closer to 35) and it did indeed look soupy but a few minutes of vigorous stirring and then sitting on the stove while I got everything else together did the trick! Thanks, Deb! This was just what the doctor ordered for a cold January during the Pandemia!
Looks amazing!
Even without parm rinds, this risotto turned out perfectly. I’ll never stand at the stove stirring again! Thank you for an amazing cosy snowy night meal that made us think we were eating in a restaurant.
This was a delicious recipe but like others, it was soup at 30 minutes. I had to scoop almost 2 cups of the water out and finish cooking on the stove. But the flavor was amazing it’s the first time I’ve ever had any trouble with a SK recipe. I’m a huge fan, and recommend it to everyone!
Agreed! Too much liquid. I cooked for 50 minutes in the oven, then stirred like mad, then reduced liquid by cooking on the stovetop for ten minutes, then stirring again. Is oven temp hot enough? Are 5 cups too much? Not sure of the solution here.
Can’t wait to compare this method to instant pot risotto which is a pretty good alternative to endless stirring. The note about water and vegetables is super helpful. Thanks for making me a better cook!
I made this last night and it totally exceed my expectations. Very creamy and the parmesan flavor really came through. I used one parmesan rind, and thought the 5 cups of water was the perfect amount. Baked for around 33 minutes. Not sure I will ever make risotto on the stovetop again!! Would be a fabulous base for veggies, short ribs, etc.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I used unrinsed sushi rice, and 4 cups chicken broth, 1 cup water because I had good stuff on hand. I convection baked at 340 for 30 mins so I could roast veggies at the same time (my stove doesn’t handle multiple dishes very well otherwise…). Probably could have used less rind/parm because of the broth inclusion, but it was still delicious and very rich. Served with chicken piccata and roasted broccoli/cauli.
Thank you!
Made this tonight because I happened to have the ingredients and it was game changing, it’s THAT good. My house full of picky eaters all loved it. 5/5 will make again.
I made this with Mirin (sweet rice wine seasoning) and just added a bit more liquid to the broth, salt, and cheese to make up for its sweetness. This was so much easier than the other recipes I was looking at. I already had two bowls.
Just made this with the Parmesan rinds. Still had too much liquid after baking so finished on the stove top for a little bit. So delicious, honestly better taste and consistency than the ones I’ve made on the stove top in the traditional way. Thanks so much!
I accidentally bought grana padano instead of Parmesan. 🙈
Would that work?
Absolutely, but the rinds may not be usable.
Thank you Deb! It was great, and most importantly, the toddler hoovered it up – going into rotation for sure ☺️☺️
It was far too much liquid, mine came out rather watery and mushy. If I made it again, I’d reduce the amount of liquid to 4 cups. Also, it tasted a bit ‘one note’ to me.. I felt like it was missing something flavour-wise. Perhaps it could benefit from stock in place of the water. Great idea to make it in the oven though.
I tried this tonight. Added some thawed frozen peas to the final stir. Excellent recipe! Thanks for the new EASY method.
This risotto is absolutely delicious! I love risotto but stopped making it because I disliked having to stir it for so long. This recipe for baking it is brilliant. I did have to cook it a lot longer because it was too liquidy so I think I will try it with 4 1/2 cups of water next time, as another person suggested. I also added some sautéed mushrooms on top. Yum! I will definitely make this again.
I made the Ina Garden version of this (with peas and shrimp) for dinner last night, and will try yours this week. Such a great, simple, dinner after a long week–and perfect for a cold night!
Made this for dinner last night with sautéed Portobello mushrooms on top and Italian parsley for garnish. Delicious and easy to make.
I am soooooooo disappointed. I followed the recipe precisely. It is not any where near being done at 25-30 minutes. It’s going to take at least another 20-30 minutes. Dinner is ruined. The steak is long done but the risotto has another 30 mins. I finally had to take the lid off to get rid of some of the liquid. I have used debs pumpkin bread recipe countless times. Never fails. This is a total disaster.
This was absolutely spectacular! I would 100% make it again. Only change was I used half homemade chicken stock because I had it on hand and used half water. I had one Parmesan rind and did take the 10 minutes to let it cook before adding rice. My oven was on 375 convection roast, about 25 minutes. So easy, so tasty!
Hi
Thanks for the recipe! Definitively Italy’s cuisine has my preference.
Risotto is one of the finest dishes to prepare because you can eat it with SO many things on the side.
Depending on the vegetable used, I would like to discuss the point you make Vegetables on the side > vegetables in a risotto in the moderately controversial opinions part of your article.
There is a recipe that puts pumpkin in the center of the recipe: pumpkin risotto. I am sure you know the recipe and would like to have your opinion on it.
Even in this case, you don’t like vegetables as part of the risotto?
Cheers.
OHMAHGERRRRDDDD!!!
It’s hands down the tastiest way to have rice that I’ve ever encountered. And also life-changing, due to ease of making and the amount of enjoyment my family got out of this. I’ll only add slightly less salt next time – maybe my teaspoons were larger.
Folks, make it, it’s a keeper recipe.
Followed the directions except I reduced the water to 4 cups and it came out perfectly. Served it with sautéed Cremini mushrooms that I tossed with a bit of truffle oil. Really came out well, will do it again.
tastiest, easiest risotto I ever made. Used 4 cups of homemade broth because I had some, and served with spinach + kale sautéed in smoked chili flakes and garlic along with mushroom crisped up in some butter. Delicious!
I love this site, and Deb rarely lets me down. This recipe was a huge fail. I used pricey Italian Arborio rice (you know, the one in the cloth bag), half water and half homemade chicken stock. I’ve made risotto many times, so I know what it should be at its best. This was risotto at its worst – mushy, tasteless, soupy rice. No fixing it, too loose for arancini.
Going back to the classic recipe. A good one is by Grace Parisi in Food & Wine. I cut it in half for two people, and add in one teaspoon of minced garlic sautéed with the onion before adding the rice, and then the wine. Just made it again tonight. It’s delicious, and you can control the texture of the rice by adding more or less stock. Try it.
This is fantastic! Took closer to 35 minutes but was super easy and packed a ton of flavour.
Absolutely amazing! Followed the recipe almost to a t, and did the parm rinds step. Only small twists, reduced water to 4.5 c and only had pecorino to grate fresh. Mixed this in at the end, but finished with shredded parm. We are not normally risotto people but we adored this and finished every drop. Thank you for a delicious, easy recipe.
I am forever grateful to you for this recipe because it is simply incredible! I used 4.5 cups of water, with a big rind and the full amount of parmesan. Served it with a bunch of sautéed mushrooms and spinach. Dreaming of making it for all of our friends as we resume dinner parties after COVID!
Delicious! I cut back on the water as other people suggested. I made a half recipe with parm rind broth, and used about 2 cups and a quarter cup water. 30 minutes in the oven and it was perfect once I stirred. Make it, you won’t regret it!
I made this over the weekend, after reading all reviews. I followed the directions for the extra 10 minutes with one parmesan rind. I used the full 5 cups liquid, but used half chicken stock. After 30 minutes, it did appear to have a lot of liquid, HOWEVER, the directions say to stir 2 minutes before adding butter and cheese and after doing so, the liquid was absorbed. Mine needed more salt. I felt something was lacking, not sure what, but I will make again, but will probably use all chicken stock, and two parmesan rinds, and definitely more salt.
Sadly, this recipe didn’t quite work. I followed it precisely using Arborio rice and the parm rinds. There was way too much liquid at the end. I drained off about a cup but it was still a bit soupy and the rice mushy after 25min cooking time. Flavor was great and prep was easy so maybe I’ll try again with less water and shorter oven time.
Did the water absorb as you stirred at the end?
It did tighten up as I stirred in the cheese at the end but I was still left with the extra cup of liquid I drained off before adding the cheese. Flavor was on point, worth fiddling so I get it right next time. So many great recipes on this site, thanks for all you do Deb!
I made this after reading through this section – I doubled the recipe in a 5-Qt Dutch oven and had no issues! I used parm rinds and a little less than 10c water. Baked for about 55min at the suggested temp and it got rave reviews. Perfect!
I’m wondering if the quality of rice matters for those who had issues? I used the organic Arborio rice in a bag from Whole Foods.
Take the 10 minutes if you have the parmesan rinds! Very delicious! I cut back on the water by 1/2 cup and added a heaping cup of Arborio rice. Perfectly creamy. I love that it is flexible to the addition of veggies after leaving the oven and that I’m not standing and stirring for nearly an hour. 5/5 stars.
This was delicious, but I should have read the comments and reduced the water to at least 4.5 cups. After 30min it was too watery and I returned it to the stove for few minutes while stirring at the end.
I made this again, twice now using 4 cups of water. My son loves it and keeps on asking for more. I use the recipe of 1 cup of rice for 3 people and it is not enough as a main meal (plus a salad), it is just so good that no one can have seconds.
I made this using an instant pot tonight, it was pretty good. I used 4 cups water, 1.5 cups rice, high pressure cook for 6 min. Quick release. Based on recipes from baby food cookbook by Jenna Helwig. Benefitted from sitting a bit at room temp after finishing but I like a little thicker texture. I don’t think the IP made it faster, but I prefer using it while cooking with kids running around.
I just made this and it took longer to cook than 30 minutes. It was closer to an hour, and I even increased the oven temperature to 200C/400F. There was a little bit of liquid that accumulated on the top and I just kept stirring and it got absorbed. Absolutely delicious!
I made this after reading the comments and did 1c homemade chicken stock and 3.5 cups water. It came out great! It was a bit loose when I took it out of the oven, but once I added the cheese and simmered to mix/melt, it came out to the perfect consistency. I served with fish for a friday night dinner and I would definitely make this risotto again.
So delicious and easy! Mine was quite oniony and I wish I cooked them down for longer until they were more caramelized (just as a personal preference). It was also a bit heavy for me- perfect as a side dish but as I ate it for an entree I might do less butter next time (despite there not being much at all in the recipe!). Will definitely be making again!!
Love the parmiggiano broth and purity of flavor in this recipe, but like many others I had too much liquid, even after stirring over heat on the stove for a few more mins after removing from the oven. And the rice was already cooked so I didn’t want to continue over the heat too long. Next time I’ll try 4 cups liquid. Also I found the texture of the rice grains to be different than with the traditional method- more evenly cooked throughout the grain. I’m intrigued to see how the texture changes when I use less liquid, as that creamy-silky outer grain to al dente center (which you get with the usual method) is so lovely. I hope less liquid achieves that as this recipe is so easy and nice.
I normally don’t putz with recipes on the first go but so many commenters were having issues that I did made modifications. My advice: don’t change anything on the first go.
Based on reading the comments, I made two adjustments: reducing the water to 4 cups and higher heat (to shorten cooking time). Neither of these worked out.
Risotto should be loose and with only 4 cups of water, it was way too dry and lumpy (like arancini filing). I did use the “I have extra time” method so I did probably lose some water to evaporation there.
I saw some mentions of very long cooktime so I increased the heat slightly to 375 (and to roast some veggies). The risotto was way over cooked at 25 minutes with the higher heat and lower water content. The grains had that “fuzzy” texture which is often from overcooking.
I served this with the roasted squash, radicchio, and onion dish from Simply Recipes. They went perfectly together. I will make again following Deb’s original instructions.
Risotto is one of only a few “special mom dishes” – my husband is a SAHD and the primary cook in the family, but I cook the things that require patient stirring (custards and white sauces are others). We gave this a try last week for my husband’s birthday. We found it a bit too cheesy (I know?!) and we will likely sub shallots (our favorite risotto allium) for the onion next time, but all agreed that it was really good and SO much less work than “regular mom risotto”. We will be adopting the method and tinkering for many more meals to come (herbs? different cheeses? different broth?)! This may be the best new technique since we started sheet pan bacon! Thanks Deb!
I made this for dinner tonight. I made the broth the “long” way with vinegar and parm rinds and just four cups of H2O. I ran out of time and had to go get the kids from school so I left the good smelling broth on the stove top to rest for about two hours. I came back, brought it all to a boil, added the rice and then in the oven. It turned out really well.
I agree with others that I think there was too much liquid – I baked for the full 30 minutes, and by the time I had stirred enough to absorb all of the liquid, my rice had broken down a lot. Otherwise, delicious!
This was so delicious! I was nervous because of issues other commenters had with timing and liquid, so I reduced liquid to 4 cups. I followed the steps for the Parmesan-infused broth and it worked beautifully. I also added mushrooms bc I love them. I lifted the lid off my pot after 20 mins afraid I’d find uncooked rice – but it was perfect! In fact if anything the risotto was a little stiffer than I’d prefer so I feel I should have trusted Deb’s initial 5-cup measurement. I read another commenter who noted the type of pot/pan Deb was using is a wide, shallow “Dutch oven” style pan. That’s exactly what I have, which may be why the timings and liquid worked out as she advised? Anyway, thank you Deb for another gorgeous mid-week dinner – a genuine highlight during this endless lockdown and miserable weather here in the UK.
Can I make this in a dish without a lid? Maybe covered in foil?
Yes
Since my dutch oven is way too big for this recipe, I make it in a glass Pyrex container with aluminum over it. However I only need 4 cups of water (which I made the long way with rinds).
I did it with foil over and also reduced the liquid sightly… it came out perfectly! I’ll never make risotto any other way again!
I have to chime in and say, while the flavors were amazing, I think the amount of liquid needs to be revisited. Based on other reviews I cut down the water to 4 cups and still had absolute soup after 40 minutes in the oven, I even increased the oven temp. Had to take out and finish on the stovetop. By the time it was done the rice was mushy. I really thought the flavors were great, so I would probably make it the traditional way in the future.
What kind of rice did you use?
Arborio.
I wish I could figure it out. I used arborio too and 5 cups is always right for me — perhaps my pot (a dutch oven) evaporates more? Commenters seem split between wanting 4 and 5 cups. If I reduce the recipe to 4 cups, then for those that need 5 (like me), it will burn.
Deb – here’s a thought I had about these liquid issues after making your Keepers coconut oven rice twice. The first time I made it, I used a 9X13 pan, with foil on top, and it was ready exactly in the time specified. The second time I made it, I put it in a deeper, smaller corningware with a glass lid. That time, at 40 minutes, it was soupy and needed another 20 minutes to tighten up.
Maybe the depth of the baking dish impacts the evaporation/cooking time.
How is this as leftovers? I don’t think the 2 of us will get through it
Keeps great and reheats well.
Thank you so much ! I so appreciate your replies! I feel starstruck every time!! Your recipes have brought much needed comfort and joy these past 11 months!
This worked like a charm! I made a half recipe and it came out beautiful and creamy – just the right consistency. I won’t go back to the stove top again. I’m genuinely curious to find that it’s working for some commenters and not others. Just wanted to encourage folks to try it as it was delightful for me!
I am also puzzled! When I posted my comment very few had already commented, so I thought that perhaps the issue was related to something I did wrong or a problem with my oven temperature; however, it appears that many folks had the overly liquidy/mushy experience. And yet, others felt it worked fine, or reduced the liquid and found it dry. Perhaps it could be a difference in the type of dutch oven used (cast iron vs. other metal vs. enameled) or maybe those who used rinds cooked off more liquid so got a better result? We are trying again tonight and will reduce the liquid and see how it goes. The flavor is great, and not stirring is lovely, so we really want this recipe to work.
Hi HJ, a while back I changed brands of Arborio rice and was surprised to see that the new one absorbed far less liquid than the former one; I’d assumed that all Arborio rice would cook in the same way, but not so. So, perhaps that might have something to do with the varied results here.
@Carol J–You are correct. Not all Arborio rice is the same. I try to stay w Carnaroli or Vialone Nano and use my bag up within 6 months.
https://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-types-of-rice-to-use-for-making-risotto-215630
Carol J, that would definitely help explain why some folks find 5 cups too many and others do not! We have found 4 cups of broth/stock works much better, so we’re sticking with that. I guess my advice to those reading this is to try it as written, but understand there might need to be a liquid reduction, so don’t make this for company the first time you try out the recipe.
This was absolutely delicious and easy ! Used 2 cups of homemade stock and 2 cups of water, with the rind. Thank you !
I made this last night and it was awesome. Following the commenters, I used Arborio rice, added only 4 cups of water, and allowed 35-40 minutes to cook. It turned out perfectly.
Tonight was the first time making risotto after eating it in restaurants for years. I am not sure why I never tried to make it before (intimidated?) but this recipe and set of instructions and tips worked like a dream. A couple of thoughts:
– it made enough for four
– even with four cups of water (down from the five in the recipe) it will be liquidly and if like me, will probably need finishing by cooking down on the stovetop which worked out great
– go for the full load of parm and butter, wow!
So tomorrow, I get to try risotto balls or cakes. Yum!
I probably broke all the “risotto rules” by using up the leftovers by:
-adding low sodium chicken broth, frozen peas, parmesan and chopped green onion
-reheating in the microwave, stirring until rice was the same consistency as the original batch
-topping with freshly grated Reggiano and freshly ground pepper
It worked great!
I added some pesto at the end, it was wonderful
I made this as directed (well – i used 3c water and 2c storebought broth b/c it was in the fridge and I know myself and didn’t want to waste half a carton) and it was so good and so easy. Stirring the risotto straight out of the oven for 2 minutes as recommended brought it to the right consistency. We’re going to make arancini with the leftovers.
I can only echo others: absolutely delicious, perfectly creamy and luscious. Over the past few years, I’ve learned to turn out a pretty decent risotto, but nothing as eye-widening good as this one. It would never have occurred to me to make a Parmesan broth instead of using stock, or to leave out the usual vegetables, and I wouldn’t have imagined that a “plain” risotto could be so rich and savory. In case it might help out someone else in a similar situation – I’m without a working oven at the moment, so I adapted the recipe for the Instant Pot, reducing the liquid to 2 2/3 cups and pressure cooking for 6 1/2 minutes. After the two minutes of stirring and the addition of the butter and cheese it had just the right silky texture.
This is really a basic cooking question, but it is occurring to me for the millionth time as I make this risotto. When a recipe says “bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover,” I always wonder if there is a reason that I can’t cover it from the beginning in order to get it to a boil faster? Thanks!
No reason; I mostly leave it uncovered so I know when it’s there. I don’t want to keep it boiling, just get it to boil so I can reduce it to the correct temperature.
I’ve seen Deb make recipe corrections before, so it surprised me that the amount of liquid wasn’t changed even though so many commenters said their risotto turned out excessively soupy. I made the recipe twice with the same brand of arborio rice, and both times there was too much liquid (the second time I reduced the water by 1/2 cup at the beginning and later skimmed off another cup). Given that some people have fantastic results with the recipe as written, I think it must be true that different kinds/brands of arborio rice absorb water differently. I’d be curious to know if the cookware makes a difference too (I happened to make my risotto in a thin stainless steel pot – not ideal).
I’ve been very torn about this one because if, say, half of people find it too wet and the other find it perfect, if I reduce the liquid to 4 cups, it will burn in the pan for half the people who make it. What I might do, and it sounds like I should, is to change to to 4 to 5 cups and suggest we check in at the 2/3 mark, adding another cup if it’s getting dry, which seems like it could ensure everyone has success.
I do test these recipes thoroughly at home (of course) and mine consistently works with 5 cups to get what you see here, but I suspect that the absorption is ranging between brands and rice types, clearly ones I have not tried.
I made this recipe last night and loved it! Not only did it only take a fraction of the time of a classic risotto, but I think it is the best risotto I’ve ever made. I used chicken stock instead of water, and the result felt decadent. I’ve been sending the recipe to all my friends and family today. Perfect for busy moms!
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Wowowowow this is REALLY good. I had my doubts– it seemed too easy! But it turned out GREAT. I followed it almost exactly, using the “less time” option. I used jasmine rice and two tbsp of apple cider vinegar cause that’s all I had.
This turned out amazing! Made with a healing 4 cups water (based on some comments) and cooked in the oven for 30 min. Stirring it for a couple of minutes after really did make it the right risotto-like texture. My 13 month old loved it! I had also never cooked with Parmesan rinds before, so that was a fun new technique. Served with sautéed mushroom, kale, and asparagus.
Do you think this could be made with a short grain brown rice?
Made this tonight! It was a hit, especially with the 3 year old. I had to use rice wine vinegar and shredded Parmesan since that’s what I had, but it came out awesome. I had what I thought were two Parmesan rinds but they melted so I guess they were just dry edge of cheese? I used the full 5 cups of water and it boiled for the 10 mins with the onions and rinds. After moving it to the oven, I checked it at 30 mins and it was exactly perfect.
Really really wish I had read the comments before making this. Followed the recipe to the letter (except with homemade broth) and by the time I reduced the soup to the right consistency the rice was horribly over cooked. Next time will check comments even though I usually blindly trust any recipe I see in this site!
I’ve made this twice and it was delicious both times! Both times with vinegar and the Parmesan rinds. I used sushi rice the first time and can’t remember how much water I used. I used Arborio rice this time and used 4 cups water and checked it two thirds of the way through cooking as Deb suggested in a comment. I didn’t need to add more liquid. Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! I cooked it exactly as described (even after reading comments about it being “soup”) and found that it came out perfectly. I used the vinegar as I didn’t have any open wine. I roasted a tray of cubed butternut squash which I swirled in at the end with a cup of frozen spinach. I added the butter (which frankly, it didn’t need – but it made it decadent) and grated cheese and my family went bananas. I’m thrilled to not be beholden to the stovetop version of risotto anymore. Thank you!
I agree that this is absolutely delicious yet definitely requires closer to an hour of cooking if you use all 5 cups of liquid. I found 4 cups to be plenty, but even then I still found it took more like 40 minutes.
This was delicious. I made this exactly as written and had no issues. It does come out of the oven looking “soupy” but I found with 2 minutes of stirring it absorbed the rest of the liquid. I also made sure to fully cook off the wine so not to add any additional liquid. I topped it with sautéed asparagus and peas.
I really liked the purity of the flavor with water and the parmesan rinds (and no stock). I did have the problem of it being fairly watery after the baking phase, but fine minutes on the stove without a cover brought it to a good level of creaminess. I might cut the water a bit next time. I suspect it may relate to how tightly your cover fits your dutch oven. I served it with sautéed spinach and oyster mushrooms on the side. Even with a traditional risotto method, the observation about water being preferable to reduced boxed stock is a great point. I might try adding saffron next time.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I had some stock that needed used so I substituted that for some of the water. I added some mushrooms that needed to be used. I did simmer the Parmesan rinds. I loved that I only stirred this for two and half minutes. Amazing. This is a keeper.
I made this dairy-free and it was still pretty awesome. Subbed margarine for the butter and 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast for the Parmesan.
A delicious risotto that’s so easy, I’ve been making it on weeknights. I use carnaroli rice, whenever I can find it, and it seems to come in 1 1/3 cup packages. I use the full amount of rice with 5.5 cups of water. I remove the lid for the last 5 minutes in the oven and use a wooden spoon for the full stir at the end. My favorite addition so far is just a leek in with the onion!
Oh *my god* this was so good. I used rice vinegar because it was all I had, and was concerned it would throw off the flavor, but it was truly great. I used about 1/2 water and 1/2 broth leftover from cooking “a really great pot of chickpeas.”
Cooking time was a bit off for me–at 30 minutes it still looked very soupy–but by 35 I was surprised by how much water had gone away and it seemed perfect per the instructions. Got very risotto-y after the two minutes of stirring. So good!!!
Sorry, a little confused. Is it 1/2 cup white wine or 1/3 cup vermouth or 2 tablespoons vinegar? 2 tablespoons of vinegar seems like not enough liquid compared to the amount of wine or vermouth. Thanks!
It’s an “or” — any of the above work. Vinegar is stronger in flavor so you’d use less.
I’m confused by this part:
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine, 1/3 cup (80 ml) dry vermouth, or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine or champagne vinegar
Is that 1/2 white wine OR 1/3 cup vermouth OR 2 tbsp white wine? Or is it 1/2 cup white wine AND 1/3 cup vermouth?
No; it’s “or” — use any of the three.
I just made this tonight and it was excellent! I doubled the recipe, but only used 8c of water. Server it w sautéed prawns. The texture was perfectly creamy. I found it saved so much time!
My husband made this as his first (yes, first) attempt to cook for me. It turned out great and he is so proud (thanks Deb!).
Although I barely lifted a finger, I instructed him to use less water (1l), turn the oven on higher (200°C) and cook it longer (40 minutes), after reading the comments. We spooned some baked cherry tomatoes on top – popped them into the oven halfway through – along with toasted pine nuts. Delicious.
Mine was total soup :( I saw that other commenters had issues with it being too watery so I only used 4 cups of water and still had a lot of excess liquid and it was pretty mushy after only 20 minutes. It still tasted ok though!
Made this the other night and loved it- BUT DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE THIS A DAY IN ADVANCE (or 2). Because I just pulled this out of my fridge for some lunch leftovers and WHOA does the Parmesan broth realllllly shine after a couple days of hanging out in the fridge.
I do agree that the 5 cups of water is probably too much as mine was also loose. I like a looser risotto, but my husband prefers it a little tighter. Will likely try with 4 cups water next time but this is a recipe that will be going into my regular rotation for the remainder of the cold weeks/months.
This was the easiest and most delicious risotto I have made.
I took Deb’s suggestion to check it at about 18 minutes having started with 4 c of water. It needed about 1/2 cup more and another cup would have been fine. I vigorously stirred it for two minutes before adding butter and cheese and it was perfect . I uses carnaroli rice ( Colavita brand) and it was perfectly cooked and delicious. Served with well sautéed mushrooms on top.
I made this in the oven as directed and using the traditional stovetop method for comparison. The oven method was easy and produced a great tasting risotto, but the texture was a little off to me. Still, there weren’t any leftovers. While I’ll be sticking to the stovetop method most of the time, I’ll certainly stick the risotto in the oven when I want tasty risotto without the work.
I agree that store bought broth lacks flavor, but I’ve also been using homemade parmesan broth https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/01/parmesan-broth-with-kale-and-white-beans/ in my risotto for years. While again, there were no leftovers, I do plan to use parmesan broth next time because it adds just a little more flavor. I’ll still throw some rinds into the pot though. Is there such a thing as too much parmesan?!
This recipe was amazing! I used paella rice and added a little saffron bloomed in hot water. Delicious and easy!
So good! I used my Le Creuset dutch oven, and 5 cups of water, and simmered the Parmesan rinds and wine for ten minutes before putting it all in the oven. It took an additional 15 minutes for the water to be absorbed enough. The consistency and flavor was perfect. There’s really no reason to go back to endlessly stirring risotto. My fam loves risotto, so thank you for this recipe!
Made this tonight for our weekly dinner with friends. It turned out perfectly. I don’t think I’ll make risotto on the stove ever again. It took just under 25 mins. Thank you for this gift!
Oh my gosh! This was THE BEST risotto I have ever eaten! My very first bite…I could tell it was something else entirely! Hubby said the same…not just the best risotto he’s had at home…but the best ever! WINNER! I will never throw away another Parmesan rind! And, I love that I’m not standing, stirring…I sat and sipped on wine😍 I didn’t even have the right kind of rice…no Arborio, just had long grain white….cooked in oven a total of 36mins to get it less watery. As I stirred for the 2mins, it turned creamy looking…then add butter and cheese, a beautiful pot of creamy risotto. Loved it!
This is one of our favorites for a cozy winter meals. I make several different toppings like peas and mushrooms and whatever else is around, and we have a risotto bar. Thanks as always for the inspiration Deb!
I haven’t tried the oven method yet, but I’m now a fan of Josh Cohen’s method and philosophy. Although I haven’t achieved the 18 mins., I have hit it at 30. I emailed him about using leftover WHEY–neither of us have yet to try it, but I hope to this winter. I always have loads of parm rinds in the freezer for just about everything! https://food52.com/blog/16616-how-to-make-risotto-like-a-chef-and-without-a-recipe
This was a miss for me. I saw 5 cups water and was skeptical…. I followed all of the steps as written but this came out as rice soup. No ‘body’ to it whatsoever. Usually have a lot of positives to say about SK recipes.
Is this recipe sufficient for 5 adults who also want leftovers or should I double it?
Definitely double it, especially if it’s the main.
I have severe allergies to aged products (a thousand curses as I adore Parmesan!). Any other kind of cheese you’d recommend instead of Parmesan?
Try pecorino or a cheese you are not allergic to that has a strong flavor.
Thanks, Deb, I will take a look at the least aged pecorino. I generally can eat only fresh cheeses. I did mix the risotto with mascarpone, and it was fabulous! My husband’s in heaven and wants me to make it again ASAP. Great recipe!
This risotto was amazing- like someone else in the comment section mentioned it was just a little to liquidy even after I cooked it a little extra- next time I will use 4 1/2 cups water. As I live alone there were leftovers- after two days of risotto I wanted so something a little different so turned the rest into arancini balls- amazing as well
Mmmm parm rinds and leek trimmings make the BEST stock to stash in the freezer for risotto.
Made it as directed but used chicken stock instead of water. Delicious. Only thing to note is that it took 60 min in my oven and not 30 min as noted. That was fine with me but there are a lot of comments on the too much liquid but I don’t think it’s too much liquid it’s just that you may need to cook longer in oven.
Could this be done in the pressure cooker/instant pot? I’ve done other risottos that way and they turned out really well. Obviously discard the rinds afterwards.
Lovely! Amazing Stuff.
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So delish I can’t stop indulging! Added some roasted broccoli to it for ya know, the health benefits! Will be making this again…yum!
Nope, not a fan of this. I know that your schtick of “easy!” and “one-bowl!” gathers thousands of adoring acolytes, but..,sometimes, the extra effort is worth it. If one is short on time, and one’s arm simply cannot stir, and there’s no simmering broth handy, then..,maybe make another rice dish, but not risotto. Sorry ti be a buzzkill, but, no. This is not risotto. It is a rice casserole.
I made this tonight for a dinner party with basmati rice because it was what we had on hand. Turned out splendidly and it was a huge hit! I was a little less than precise with the liquid to rice ratio up front, but found it worked just fine to add a little more hot water when I took it out of the oven to loosen it up more. 100% never going back to making it the laborious way!
Can I transfer the prepared rice mixture from a pot TO a baking pan?
Thanks
I had stopped making risotto for all of these reasons without realizing it! I will have to try it this way. Thank you!
5 cups is too much liquid. I remove about 1.5 cups liquid when it just wasn’t ready, and added about 20 min time in oven.
Delicious taste
I’ve made this before using the extra-10-min approach and we enjoyed very much. Used a cast iron pot.
How would it be with mushroom? Would they go spongy?
I’d saute them first on the stove in oil and or butter, perhaps with garlic.
I’ve made this several times with sushi rice. Always delicious. Check at 25 minutes in the oven, I sometimes end up going a little past the cooking time to get the consistency I prefer. Will also admit to snacking on the Parm rinds after removing from the broth.
Absolutely delicious! In had made an oven version of risotto before and this recipe is by far much better. Excellent! Thank you
Looks delicious!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. However, it’s been a while since I’ve made this and I forgot about all the comments saying 5c is too much water so I put in 5c. It was definitely too much water. If you are reading this comment, do 4c!!
I used 5 and it came out ok. Maybe it depends on where you are? I’m on the west coast a smidge above sea level.
FABulous! We had t his for dinner tonight and I will never make risotto the old way again. Gave me plenty of time to make a few sides. Thank you!
This recipe found me on a cool rainy spring night when I was craving asparagus risotto but didn’t feel like spending all night in the kitchen. I had to run to a yoga class and left the covered pot in the turned-off oven; when I got back it was still piping hot and almost like an oatmeal consistency. For those that like really creamy risotto this would be an easy way to get it; I personally like mine to have a little more texture but I still enjoyed it. Curious to try it again and see how it turns out straight out of the oven after the 25-30 minutes.
We have some dairy allergies in our house. How do you think goat cheese would work instead of parmesan?