Risotto Milanese (Saffron Risotto)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Making risotto is like therapy in a pan. Slowly stir hot broth steeped with saffron into Italian short-grain rice until the grains are tender and creamy. A little wine for the pan, a little wine for you. And then you get to eat this creamy classic dish. Here is a favorite - Risotto Milanese, to which I've added peas. All ingredients are easily kept in the pantry. Serve it as a main topped with shrimp, chicken, scallops, meat, or as a side dish. Risotto is simply heavenly. It takes just a little patience but that first bit will make it worthwhile.

Golden risotto Milanese with saffron and peas in a bowl served as a side dish.

My favorite risotto recipe and I've been making it for decades. Once you learn the basics of making risotto, you can make many delightful variations. I'm often asked what would be my last meal. My answer? Risotto Milanese with lobster (which I make at the holidays), and a glass of Champagne, but I make this simple risotto weekly in fall and winter.

Why You'll Like This Recipe

If you love rice, you'll love risotto.
It's comfort food in a pan; the ultimate rice dish.
Ingredients are easily kept in the pantry.
There are many variations of risotto.
Add a protein, like seared scallops, shrimp, diced chicken, cook sausage, or meat.

Recipe Ingredients

This ingredient list reflects risotto in the style of Milan, Italy, called Milanese. It's an incredible Italian rice dish. It's also called Risotto alla Milanese.

Chicken broth: This is a good place to use homemade. If you buy your broth, buy low sodium and read labels to get a good quality broth. Look in the freezer section too.
Saffron: The king of spices. Saffron is a beautiful red color and looks like threads. It's the most expensive spice in the world, sold in very small amounts. Good thing is you only need a little bit for the recipe. It gives this recipe the beautiful golden color and flavor.
Oil: good quality extra virgin olive oil shines in risotto. Here is the olive oil always in my pantry.
Onion: Sautéed onion is the savory base for risotto called the soffritto. It's like the Italian mirepoix trio of onion, carrot and celery. For risotto, use just onion. Go with a yellow, brown or white onion.
Garlic: A must have for more flavor, cooked with the onion. Use fresh cloves instead of jarred garlic.
Rice: For creamy risotto, use the right rice; Italian superfino rices. They have just the right amount of starch. My favorite is this carnaroli rice but arborio works too and is more available in the markets. You can't use standard rice for real risotto.
Wine: White wine is the best for this risotto. Use a little mini airline sized bottle, either Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Wine adds dimension and flavor.
Peas: Frozen petite peas work well, and the petites are more tender than regular peas. If it's spring, use fresh peas and blanch them first (cook briefly in boiling salted water). Optional.
Parmesan cheese: Get real Parmigiano-Reggiano, the Italian "king of cheeses". It's optional if you are dairy-free, but it adds a rich saltiness and classic savory flavor if you can handle dairy.

Please see the recipe card for measurements.

Chef's Tip: Good broth is important for risotto. If you 've never made homemade, try one of these two recipes: long simmered homemade chicken brone broth or a faster version, Instant Pot chicken broth or other pressure cooker. Freeze homemade broth in batches for recipes such as this risotto.

Substitutions and Variations

There are almost endless variations of risotto, here are just a few ideas:

Skip the peas and use cooked chopped asparagus for an asparagus risotto recipe.
Add crisp crumbled bacon for risotto with peas and bacon.
Add chopped oil-packed (drained) sun-dried tomatoes.
Add a little chopped fennel to the onion when cooking the soffritto.
Add mushrooms.
Add a protein, like diced cooked chicken, for chicken and pea risotto.
If you prefer not to cook with wine, just skip it and continue with the recipe.
Add diced cooked ham for a pea and ham risotto.
To top with spicy Italian shrimp, make the easy shrimp from this recipe.
For a mushroom risotto, skip the saffron and stir in a ¼ or more of this mushroom duxelles recipe. It's devine.

Recipe Instructions

Risotto is not hard to cook. Get your prep work done, and with a little patience and stirring, you'll have a wonderful risotto dinner.

Step 1: Prep and set-up for cooking. Chop the onion and garlic, get the broth heated up on the stove top, and measure out your rice and wine. Place everything near the stove before you start.

Would you like to save this recipe?

Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Step 2: Saute the onion in olive oil until soft, then add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes until the grains are coated in oil.

Cooking risotto in a pan, showing when to add more broth.

Step 3: Add the wine and cook most of it off. Next, start slowly adding simmering broth, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Add the broth at about ¼ cup to a ⅓ cup pace. You will know when to add more broth when you can draw your spoon across the rice and a trough forms.

When you're near the end of the broth, stir in the peas. Note - You may not use all 3 cups of broth. Taste the risotto. It should be tender and creamy to the bite. Serve in warmed bowls, with Parmesan if using.

The Best Pan for Risotto

A good pan for making risotto (and sauces) is called a saucier. It has sloped sides making it easy to stir the rice. It's a terrific pan to have in your collection. If you don't have such a pan, be sure as you stir your risotto to get into the outer edges of the pan so the grains of rice do not stick.

If you have a medium size, 3 ½ quart Le Creuset, its works fine because the sides are not perfectly straight and just a little sloped. Use a wooden spoon when making risotto to treat the beautiful rice grains gently.

Serving Suggestions

Serve risotto in low wide soup bowls, pasta bowls, or risotto bowls. Warm them up in a low oven keeps the risotto warm.

Recipe FAQs

How is risotto different than rice?

Risotto is the name of a classic Italian rice dish made with one of several special Italian superfino rices with high starch contents: Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano. These rice varieties are higher starch and short to medium grain, and they absorb a lot of broth providing the creamy texture of good risotto.

Can you use normal rice for risotto rice?

Purists and risotto-lovers (like me) say no. Some people say a long grain white rice will work, but it's just not the same. Buy the real rice for risotto and you will see why it's so good. Risotto is not made with standard rice.

Why don't you wash rice for risotto?

Because you want the starchiness of the rice as it produces the creamy texture of risotto.

More Recipes

For more recipes with rice, or making cauliflower rice for a lower carb side dish option check these recipes out. The pork chops make a terrific gravy, and are nice served with rice.

⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?

If you make this recipe, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.