This simple risotto alla Milanese is a creamy, comforting dish, made with arborio rice and infused with saffron, which gives it a gorgeous golden colour. My version of this Italian classic doesn't include wine (which is handy if you've drunk it all or forgotten to buy a bottle), but you still get all the rich flavour and creamy texture you'd expect from a traditional risotto.
Risotto alla Milanese is a traditional dish from Milan in northern Italy, dating back to the 16th century. It is said to have been created when a glassblower's apprentice added saffron, which was typically used in those days to add colour to stained glass, to a rice dish, resulting in yellow-coloured rice.
It is one of those classic Italian dishes that proves just how comforting and flavourful simple ingredients can be. Made with arborio rice and infused with saffron, it has a beautiful golden colour and a delicate, aromatic flavour that makes it really special. The slow addition of stock, while gently stirring, creates that signature creamy texture, and a generous handful of grated Parmesan stirred in at the end with a knob of butter makes it wonderfully rich and satisfying.
Risotto alla Milanese is typically served alongside osso buco, another dish originating in Milan! It provides a starchy base that beautifully complements the tender meat in a dish of osso buco.
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Do I need to use wine?
In this version of risotto, I've substituted the wine with a combination of vinegar, lemon juice and water. However, there's nothing stopping you from going the traditional route and adding half a glass of white wine to the toasted rice instead. Whichever way you go, you'll still get the gentle acidity that complements the richness of the dish.
Recipe information
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: About half an hour
Yield: This will make sufficient risotto alla Milanese to serve 4 people as a side dish or two people as a main meal with sides of salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients
- Arborio rice - this is a short-grain rice with a high starch content. The starch is key to the creamy texture of risotto. As the rice is slowly cooked and stirred, it releases the starch into the cooking liquid, creating a sauce-like consistency without the need for cream. You may find it on the supermarket shelves labelled as risotto rice, sushi rice or even pudding rice.
- Onion - this is softened in butter before the rice is added. The onion should be peeled and finely chopped. If possible, use white or yellow onions; red onions have the wrong colour for this dish.
- Butter -this is used to soften the onion and is also stirred into the risotto once it has been cooked.
- Olive oil - used with the butter to soften the onions.
- Chicken or vegetable stock - you can use either, but don't use beef stock - the flavour will be wrong.
- Lemon juice, vinegar and water - these are used in place of the white wine that is traditionally used to make risotto. Of course, if you prefer to use white wine instead, then by all means, do so.
- Saffron - this not only adds a delicate flavour to the risotto, but also creates the signature golden colour that is synonymous with risotto alla Milanese.
- Parmesan cheese - this should be freshly grated. The traditional variety used in risotto alla Milanese is Parmigiano Reggiano, but any hard, grated cheese could be used instead.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities for making this saffron risotto on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
Making risotto is a slow labour of love! You need to add the stock to the rice a little at a time and stir until it has been absorbed before adding more liquid. Make sure there is nothing else that needs your attention before making this dish! You will need around 25 minutes of hands-on time.
Step 1: Heat butter and olive oil in a saucepan and saute the chopped onion for a few minutes on low to medium heat until it starts to soften.
Step 2: While the onion is softening, place the saffron into the lemon juice, vinegar and water mixture and allow it to infuse. If you are using white wine, place the saffron in that instead.
Step 3: Stir the rice into the softened onions and continue to stir until the rice is well-coated.
Step 4: Pour in the wine or vinegar mixture and continue to stir until the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 5: Add a soup ladle (or half a cup) of stock at a time, and stir until the liquid has been absorbed. As the liquid gets absorbed, add more stock and continue to stir.
Step 6: Once the stock has all been used, you should end up with a creamy risotto with a thick consistency.
Step 7: For the final step, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and butter. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your risotto always turns out perfectly.
- Take your time - risotto can't be rushed. The best results come from cooking the rice long and slow over low heat, with lots of stirring to release the all-important starch.
- Use the correct variety of rice. Stick with short-grain varieties such as arborio or carnaroli, which absorb liquid slowly and release just the right amount of starch to form the creamy texture.
- Don't get too hung up about stirring the entire time. Stir frequently, but if you have to stop for a minute or two, it won't be the end of the world.
- Add the liquid gradually, one ladleful (or half a cup) at a time and let each batch of stock absorb before adding more.
- As I mentioned, it takes a while for risotto to cook to perfection. You will need approximately 20 minutes from the time you start adding the liquid.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in the butter and parmesan off the heat. This final step is what makes the risotto extra creamy and glossy.
- To enjoy risotto at its best, serve immediately, while it is still soft and creamy. It will firm up as it cools, so timing is important.
Variations
This is a basic risotto recipe, using just rice, saffron, butter, parmesan and stock. However, there are still a few ways in which you could change the recipe to suit your own taste:
- Leave out the onions, or substitute them with finely chopped leeks.
- I've used chicken stock to keep the risotto light; for a more robust version, especially if you intend to serve it with osso buco, you could use beef or veal stock instead.
- For even more creaminess, stir in a tablespoon of mascarpone or cream cheese with the parmesan.
- For a complete meal-in-a-bowl, stir in extra vegetables towards the end. Suitable vegetables would be peas, chopped asparagus and/or sauteed mushrooms. See my recipe for quick and easy mushroom and pea risotto.
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need to make a risotto:
- saucepan which is large enough to hold the rice and about 3 cups of liquid. Allow for the fact that the rice swells up somewhat as it cooks.
- spatula for stirring.
- sharp knife and chopping board for dicing the onion.
Storage
Risotto is best eaten fresh! However, if you do have leftovers, this is how to store and reheat them safely.
- Let the risotto come to room temperature as quickly as possible (transfer it to a shallow container to allow it to cool more quickly), then transfer it to a covered container and refrigerate as soon as possible.
- Store it in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days.
- Do not leave it out of the refrigerator for too long, as rice can develop harmful bacteria if not handled properly.
- To reheat, transfer the risotto to a saucepan, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of liquid (stock, water or milk), and stir over low heat until hot and creamy again.
- Reheated leftovers will not have the same creaminess and texture as freshly prepared risotto, but will still be tasty. You could stir in a little extra butter and cheese if you prefer.
Risotto does not freeze well, as the texture tends to become grainy or mushy once frozen and thawed.
If you do decide to freeze the risotto, it can be frozen for up to a month and defrosted in the refrigerator.
Defrosted risotto can be turned into arancini, which are crispy Italian rice balls. The defrosted risotto is rolled into balls, coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried until golden. Arancini make a delicious appetiser or party snack!
FAQ
Risotto is best served fresh, as the texture changes somewhat once cooled. However, you can par-cook the rice halfway and keep half a cup of stock aside. Refrigerate the rice and stock for up to 2 days and finish the risotto just before serving.
If you don't have saffron, you could add a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric. This will provide the colour, but you won't get the distinctive saffron flavour.
If it's too runny, it may need an extra minute or two of stirring over gentle heat to absorb more liquid.
If it's too thick, you can add a splash of stock to loosen it up. It should be soft and creamy but still slightly flowing on the plate.
Save for later
If you would like to make this risotto alla Milanese, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so that you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
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📋The recipe
Simple risotto alla Milanese - made without wine
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 175 grams arborio rice
- 1 small onion peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons butter to saute the onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil to saute the onions
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or other fruity white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice Note - you can use ½ cup white wine instead of the vinegar, lemon juice and water
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- ½ cup / 60 grams grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter to stir into the risotto
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat butter and olive oil in a saucepan and saute the chopped onion for a few minutes on low to medium heat until it starts to soften.2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small onion
- While the onion is softening, place the saffron into the lemon juice, vinegar and water mixture and allow it to infuse. If you are using white wine, place the saffron in that instead.2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon saffron
- Stir the rice into the softened onions and continue to stir until the rice is well-coated.1 cup / 175 grams arborio rice
- Pour in the saffron-infused wine or vinegar mixture and continue to stir until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add a soup ladle (or half a cup) of stock at a time, and stir until the liquid has been absorbed. As the liquid gets absorbed, add more stock and continue to stir.2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- Once the stock has all been used, you should end up with a creamy risotto with a thick consistency. Note - you may not need all the stock. The rice should be creamy but still slightly al dente.
- For the final step, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and butter. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.½ cup / 60 grams grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons butter
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Take your time - risotto can't be rushed. The best results come from cooking the rice long and slow over low heat, with lots of stirring to release the all-important starch.
- Use the correct variety of rice. Stick with short-grain varieties such as arborio or carnaroli, which absorb liquid slowly and release just the right amount of starch to form the creamy texture.
- Don't get too hung up about stirring the entire time. Stir frequently, but if you have to stop for a minute or two, it won't be the end of the world.
- Add the liquid gradually, one ladleful (or half a cup) at a time and let each batch of stock absorb before adding more.
- As I mentioned, it takes a while for risotto to cook to perfection. You will need approximately 20 minutes from the time you start adding the liquid.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in the butter and parmesan off the heat. This final step is what makes the risotto extra creamy and glossy.
- To enjoy risotto at its best, serve immediately, while it is still soft and creamy. It will firm up as it cools, so timing is important.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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