How Can I Tell When My Risotto is Done?

Taste, taste, taste! The only way to really know if the texture of your risotto is perfect is by tasting as you near the end of cooking. You’ll know the risotto is done when the rice is cooked through and tender, but still slightly firm (al dente). Be careful not to overcook.

Kitchen Tested

Classic Risotto

Name: Classic Risotto
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ Classic Chicken Broth; 4 tablespoons butter, divided; 1 cup chopped yellow onion; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice; 1 cup dry white wine; 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Prep time:35 min
Total time:35 min
Ingredients:9
Servings:4
Calories per serving:430

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 03/06/2025

Classic Risotto

Prep time:35 min
Total time:35 min
Ingredients:9
Servings:4
Calories per serving:430

Simple, yet sophisticated risotto started as a peasant dish, dating back to northern Italy in the 19th century. It gradually gained popularity across other social classes, eventually finding its way into the fanciest of Italian kitchens. Today, risotto is popular across the globe, with numerous iterations to fit diverse tastes and culinary trends.

The key to excellent risotto is proper technique. With our classic risotto recipe, you can learn how to make this delicious creamy rice dish at home. Once you understand the technique, you can experiment to your heart’s delight, adding new flavors and extra ingredients to complement your favorite meats and veggies.

Risotto Ingredients

For the best risotto recipe, the quality of your ingredients count. With simple recipes, you taste every element.

Rice: It’s important to use a starchy, medium- to short-grain rice to achieve the creamy, slightly sticky texture risotto is known for. Arborio is most used, but Carnaroli is another option that is widely available.

Broth: Instead of cooking rice in plain water as usual, this recipe uses broth to infuse the rice with flavor! Broth, stock, bone broth…it can be confusing. What you need to know is all of these are flavorful liquids that add sumptuous, savory taste and texture to a dish.

Onion: We opted to use an easy-to-find yellow onion. Make sure your pieces aren’t too large, since you want them to melt and blend into the rice mixture.

Wine: Deglazing uses a liquid to lift the tasty, browned bits from the bottom of a pan after sautéing. It works better if the liquid is slightly acidic, making dry white wine the ideal ingredient for deglazing the pan for risotto. We prefer Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but any dry white wine will work.

Butter, Salt, Parmesan Cheese, Pepper, and Parsley: They add loads of flavor to the finished dish. You can use other cheeses and herbs but avoid substituting anything for the butter unless necessary. There’s nothing like the flavor of real butter.

Cookware You’ll Need

You don’t need any special equipment for this recipe, but here are a couple of items we recommend:

Large Glass Liquid Measuring Cup: A microwavable 1- to 2-quart liquid measuring cup (has a spout) makes microwaving and adding the broth to the rice mixture easy and tidy. If you don’t have one, use a ladle to spoon the hot broth into the pan.

Large Saucepan: A 4-quart stainless steel saucepan or a Dutch oven are both good options for this recipe. Both have plenty of room to make the risotto.

How to Make Risotto

We’ll give you all the tricks to perfecting this easy, homemade risotto recipe, but you can find the full recipe below.

1. Heat the Broth

Microwaving is the simplest way to heat the broth. You can also heat the broth in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then turn off the heat, leave it on the warm burner and cover to keep warm.

2. Sauté the Onions and Rice

Be sure to cook the onions to the color and doneness you like before adding the rice. Once the rice goes in, they won’t brown much more. It can be tricky deciding how long to cook the rice. Our tip: use your nose. The rice should smell toasty when it’s ready.

3. Deglaze and Add the Broth

To pour the broth from the measuring cup without spilling, touch your spoon or spatula to the spout and let the liquid stream down the utensil. As you get near the end, think of beating or whipping in the broth instead of just stirring it in. This will draw out more starch from the rice and make the finished risotto creamier.

4. Add Butter and Garnishes

“Mounting” with extra butter as a finishing touch is a classic cooking technique that creates extra flavor and texture. The cheese, pepper, and parsley add nuttiness, piquant flavor, and herbal brightness, rounding out this classic European comfort food.

Possible Variations

It’s easy to make variations to our classic risotto recipe! Whether cooking other veggies or meat in the same pan or topping with additional ingredients, risotto is endlessly adaptable.

For sausage risotto, cook bulk Italian sausage in the butter until cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan before adding the onions, then add it back toward the end of cooking to heat it through. Warm, roasted veggies like beets, asparagus, or these roasted carrots make a lovely topping for your finished risotto.

For a shortcut version, try our Quick Mushroom Risotto recipe, which adds a bit of cream to the dish for a luxurious finish.

Serving Risotto

What can’t you serve with risotto? This versatile dish can be dressed up with toppings and served as a main, perhaps with a simple salad on the side. Or it can play a supporting role as a side to grilled or braised meats and veggies

Try our Slow-Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken, which uses chicken breasts, prepared Alfredo sauce, and fresh baby spinach to create a luxe slow-cooked feast with only 15 minutes of prep.

For another excellent Italian recipe, try these 6-ingredient Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops. Round out the meal with an arugula and tomato salad tossed in bottled balsamic vinaigrette. Buon appetito!

Storing and Reheating Options

Refrigerator

Cover and store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Freezer

For freezer storage, spoon individual servings of the risotto into freezer-safe food storage containers. Cover and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating

To reheat, spoon individual servings into microwavable bowls. Cover loosely and microwave, stirring once, on Medium-High (70%) for about 2 minutes or until steaming. Add a bit of water if mixture seems dry. Stir again before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Line cooks in restaurants send out risotto hot and perfectly cooked just a few minutes after it’s ordered. But how? Here’s the secret!

Cook the risotto until it’s almost done. You should have about a cup of broth left to stir in. Remove it from the heat, then spread the mixture on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray; cover, and cool completely in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated until ready to use, up to 1 day.

To finish, return the risotto and remaining cup of broth to the same pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook until tender, adding a bit of water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Ta-da!

Risotto is endlessly adaptable. You can use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth, shallots instead of onions, and other cheeses besides Parmesan. But, if you want to use a soft, creamy cheese like goat cheese, skip adding the last 2 tablespoons of butter at the end and stir in 2 ounces of the soft cheese at that point.

You can also use whatever kind of white wine you like. It’s important that it’s a drinkable wine that you enjoy. Don’t use a cheap wine or one you don’t like to drink on its own.

Classic Risotto

Prep time:35 min
Total time:35 min
Ingredients:9
Servings:4
Calories per serving:430

Ingredient

1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ Classic Chicken Broth
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Serve with, if desired

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Step 1
In large microwavable glass measuring cup or bowl, microwave broth uncovered on High 5 to 7 minutes, or until boiling. Cover and keep warm.

Step 2
Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender; reduce heat to medium.

Step 3
Stir in rice. Cook uncovered 2 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until edges of kernels are translucent.

Step 4
Add wine to rice mixture in pan; cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated.

Step 5
Stir 1 cup broth into rice mixture. Cook uncovered 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost absorbed.

Step 6
Repeat with remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, until rice is tender and creamy.

Step 7
Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Step 8
Divide among 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of the cheese, the black pepper, and parsley.

Recipe Tips

Cooking Gluten Free? Always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is gluten free. Products and ingredient sources can change.
For an alcohol-free version, instead of wine, use 1/2 cup white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup water.
Depending on the season, you may want to add other herbs in addition to or in place of the parsley. Sage is lovely for fall dishes, chives are nice for lemony spring meals, and thyme works well all year round.

Nutrition Facts

Calories
430
Total Fat
14g
Protein
9g
Total Carbohydrate
65g
Sugars
2g

Servings: 4

Serving Size: About 1&¼ Cups

Amount Per Serving Calories : 430

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Total Fat	14g	21%
Saturated Fat	9g	43%
Trans Fat	½g	% Value Not Available
Monounsaturated Fat	3&½g	% Value Not Available
Polyunsaturated Fat	½g	% Value Not Available
Omega-3	0g	% Value Not Available
Cholesterol	35mg	12%
Sodium	1120mg	47%
Total Carbohydrate	65g	22%
Dietary Fiber	1g	5%
Soluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Insoluble Fiber	1g	% Value Not Available
Sugars	2g	% Value Not Available
Protein	9g	% Value Not Available
Vitamin D	Value Not Available	0%
Calcium	Value Not Available	10%
Iron	Value Not Available	15%
Potassium	150mg	4%
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	8%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	2%
Vitamin E	Value Not Available	2%
Thiamin	Value Not Available	25%
Riboflavin	Value Not Available	4%
Niacin	Value Not Available	15%
Vitamin B6	Value Not Available	15%
Folic Acid	Value Not Available	15%
Vitamin B12	Value Not Available	0%
Pantothenic Acid	Value Not Available	10%
Phosphorus	Value Not Available	15%
Magnesium	Value Not Available	8%
Zinc	Value Not Available	8%
Manganese	Value Not Available	50%
Selenium	Value Not Available	25%
Copper	Value Not Available	8%
Beta-Carotene	Value Not Available	% Value Not Available
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Starch 2&½,
Fruit 0,
Other Carbohydrate 1&½,
Skim Milk 0,
Low-Fat Milk 0,
Milk 0,
Vegetable ½,
Very Lean Meat 0,
Lean Meat 0,
Medium-Fat Meat 0,
High-Fat Meat 0,
Fat 2&½,
Fruits 0c,
Vegetables ¼c,
Grains 3oz-eq,
Meat & Beans 0oz-eq,
Dairy 0c,
Fats & Oils 3tsp

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice4

Loading component...

Try These Next

Loading component...

Family-friendly meals made easy!

Make everyday family moments count, with easy recipes that everyone will love. Join our email community to receive tested recipes and tips.

Risotto Ingredients

For the best risotto recipe, the quality of your ingredients count. With simple recipes, you taste every element.

Onion: We opted to use an easy-to-find yellow onion. Make sure your pieces aren’t too large, since you want them to melt and blend into the rice mixture.

Cookware You’ll Need

You don’t need any special equipment for this recipe, but here are a couple of items we recommend:

Large Saucepan: A 4-quart stainless steel saucepan or a Dutch oven are both good options for this recipe. Both have plenty of room to make the risotto.

How to Make Risotto

We’ll give you all the tricks to perfecting this easy, homemade risotto recipe, but you can find the full recipe below.