Nonna says making great risotto comes down to three simple things: toast the rice in olive oil, add hot stock one ladle at a time, and finish off the heat with butter and Parmesan. Get those right and you’ll have a rich, creamy risotto packed with flavour, without a drop of cream in sight.
Forget the fuss. Risotto is one of Italy’s most comforting dishes and far easier to master than people think. From the rice-growing regions of Lombardy and Piedmont to family kitchens across Italy, every risotto tells a different story. Some are golden with saffron, some packed with garden peas, others rich with tomatoes straight from the cupboard.
All it asks for is a little over an hour, a wooden spoon and a bit of patience. From a comforting Chicken Risotto to a vibrant Tomato Risotto, here are Nonna’s tips for making risotto the Italian way.
Nonna’s Tip 1: Choose the Right Rice
When it comes to risotto, the rice matters. Italian Arborio Rice is the secret behind that rich, creamy texture and distinctive bite. Its short, plump grains slowly release starch as they cook, creating the silky consistency that makes risotto so comforting.
Italian Arborio Rice – the classic choice for creamy, authentic risotto with perfectly al dente grains.
Nonna’s tip: never rinse Arborio rice. That starch is where the magic happens.
Nonna’s Tip 2: Start with a Gentle Soffritto
Like so many Italian dishes, risotto begins with a soffritto.
But what is soffritto?
A soffritto is the gentle base that a lot of Italian cooking starts from. You chop vegetables finely and cook them slowly in olive oil or butter until they’re soft and sweet, but not browned. The name comes from soffriggere, which means to fry gently.
The classic version is onion, carrot and celery, but for risotto, Nonna keeps it simpler and uses just onion or shallot, sometimes with a little celery. Carrot tends to be left out because it would colour the rice and add sweetness.
Warm a little olive oil and cook a finely chopped onion or shallot slowly until soft and sweet, never browned. Some families add celery or garlic too.
Nonna’s tip: chop it finely enough to melt into the risotto.
Nonna’s Tip 3: Toast the Rice First
In Italy, this step is called the tostatura. Tip the rice into the pan and stir it in the oil for a minute or two, until the edges of each grain turn slightly see-through.
Toasting helps the rice cook evenly and keeps a little bite in the middle. If you like, add a splash of dry white wine now and let it bubble away before the first ladle of stock.
Nonna’s Tip 4: Keep the Stock Hot
If there’s one rule Nonna never breaks, it’s this: keep the stock hot. Cold stock stops the rice cooking every time you add it.
As a guide, Napolina’s Chicken Risotto uses 1 litre of stock for 300g of Arborio rice. Have a little extra hot water ready in case your rice is thirsty.
Nonna’s Tip 5: One Ladle at a Time
Add one ladle of stock, stir until it’s almost all absorbed, then add the next. Stirring rubs the starch from the rice and turns the liquid creamy.
You don’t need to stir without stopping, but don’t walk away either. After around 18 to 20 minutes, start tasting. The rice should be tender with a slight bite in the centre, just like pasta cooked al dente. Every rice is a little different, so follow the timings on your packet.
Nonna’s Tip 6: Make Tomato Risotto the Italian Way
For a rich tomato risotto, Nonna turns to her cupboard. Warm passata together with your stock, as in this Seasonal Tomato Risotto, so the tomato cooks into every grain. Or stir chopped tomatoes in just after toasting the rice, like Elly Smart’s Italian Bruschetta Style Risotto.
Nonna’s tip: a spoonful of double concentrate tomato purée stirred into the soffritto gives a deeper, richer tomato flavour.
Nonna’s Tip 7: Look for the Wave
Italians say a good risotto should be all’onda, which means “like a wave”. When you tilt the pan, the risotto should flow gently and settle, not sit in a stiff mound.
If it looks too thick, add another splash of hot stock. Risotto keeps thickening as it rests, so take it off the heat when it looks slightly looser than you’d like.
Nonna’s Tip 8: Finish Off the Heat
Mantecatura is where good risotto becomes great risotto. Take the pan off the heat, add a knob of cold butter and a handful of grated Parmesan, then beat it in with your wooden spoon until glossy.
Cover and leave it for one or two minutes, then serve straight away in warm bowls. Nonna never adds cream: the creaminess comes from the rice, the stirring and the finish.
Nonna’s Tip 9: Keep It Simple
A risotto doesn’t need every vegetable in the fridge. Choose one or two ingredients and let them shine, like mushrooms in this classic Mushroom Risotto or sweet roasted squash in a Butternut Squash Risotto.
Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and a little more Parmesan at the table.
Nonna’s Favourite Risotto Recipes
Ready to pick up your wooden spoon? A few of Nonna’s favourites to try:
- Chicken Risotto, made with chopped tomatoes, courgette and peas
- Seasonal Tomato Risotto, a vegetarian favourite with passata and fresh cherry tomatoes
- Italian Bruschetta Style Risotto by Elly Smart, a plant-based tomato risotto with cannellini beans
- Mushroom Risotto, the creamy Italian classic
- Butternut Squash Risotto, perfect for autumn evenings
No Risotto Rice? Nonna’s Orzo Risotto
Out of risotto rice? Nonna reaches for Napolina orzo, the small rice-shaped pasta, and cooks it the same way. Italians call this pasta risottata, pasta cooked like a risotto.
A little Italian kitchen secret: in Italy, orzo is actually the word for barley, and the rice-shaped pasta is usually called risoni. In the north, families make orzotto, a hearty risotto made with pearl barley. Here in the UK, orzo means the pasta, and it makes a quick, comforting orzo risotto.
How to make an orzo risotto
- Soften a finely chopped onion in olive oil, just as you would for risotto
- Add the orzo and toast it for a minute, stirring
- Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often. Orzo cooks faster than rice, usually in around 8 to 10 minutes, so follow your packet and start tasting early
- For a tomato orzo risotto, stir in chopped tomatoes or passata with the first ladles of stock
- Finish off the heat with butter and Parmesan, and serve straight away
Nonna’s tip: orzo releases less starch than risotto rice, so keep it a little looser and let the cheese do the work for a creamy finish.
For another way with orzo, try Napolina’s One-Pan Orzo Chicken Pasta Bake.
Enjoying Nonna’s Tips?
Now you know how to make risotto the way Nonna does: toast the rice, keep the stock hot, take your time and finish it off the heat. Find out how Nonna uses chopped tomatoes, or explore more of Nonna’s Tips. And if you’re stuck on what to cook tonight, read through Nonna’s go-to meals.
