Dinner · 45 min · italian

Risotto alla Milanese

If you like arborio rice, you’ll love this Italian dinner — 45 minutes from craving to table.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Arborio rice
• 1 Yellow onion
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 tsp Saffron threads
• 1/2 cup Dry white wine
• 5 cups Vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Warm the broth in a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer — cold broth shocks the rice and stalls the cooking. Steep the saffron in a ladle of the hot broth until it turns deep gold.
2. Soften the diced onion in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and toast 2 minutes, until the grains turn pearly at the edges.
3. Pour in the wine and stir until it evaporates. This toasting step is what keeps the grains distinct instead of mushy.
4. Add hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring often and letting each addition absorb before the next. After about 15 minutes, stir in the saffron broth — the rice will bloom sunset-yellow.
5. Keep going until the rice is al dente and flows like thick lava when you shake the pan, about 18 to 20 minutes total. Take it off the heat.
6. Beat in the remaining cold butter and the parmigiano vigorously — the mantecatura — until the risotto turns glossy and waves. Rest 2 minutes, then serve on flat warm plates.

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