28 Creamy Risotto Recipes for a Cozy Taste of Italy From saffron-scented classics to seafood-studded showstoppers, these extra-special risottos make a comforting dinner for any season. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 14, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans Whether you like your risotto studded with shrimp or layered with earthy mushrooms, these recipes deliver plenty of richness and flavor. Favorites include a lobster risotto with a double dose of seafood from clam juice and tender lobster meat, and the striking Risotto Nero with Squash and Burrata, where creamy cheese and butternut squash puree pop against glossy black Venere rice. Of course, classic saffron risotto is an easy yet impressive staple, equally wonderful served velvety or al salto — fried into a crisp, golden pancake. Find your next favorite here. Love these recipes? Join MyRecipes — your personal home for recipes — to easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place. 01 of 28 Eggplant Risotto with Tomatoes and Basil Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl Inspired by the extra-large eggplants he encountered in the Sicilian harbor city of Messina, chef Franck Garanger evokes flavors found in two other classic summer dishes, pasta alla Norma and ratatouille, with his veggie-forward risotto. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 28 Mushroom and Chicken Risotto Diana Chistruga Made with 8 ounces of mushrooms and 12 ounces of cubed chicken breast, this risotto is hearty enough to serve four as a main course. If you’re not using homemade stock, opt for low-sodium chicken broth so the dish doesn’t become too salty. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 28 Zucchini Risotto with Shrimp Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Taking 20 minutes to infuse store-bought vegetable stock with briny shrimp shells makes this creamy risotto extra flavorful. It’s combined with tender zucchini — both grated and diced — plus nutty Parmesan cheese, then topped with lightly sautéed shrimp for an inviting dish. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 28 Risi e Bisi (Green Pea Risotto) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Cooking Vialone Nano rice in plenty of broth gives this Venetian classic its signature loose, risotto-meets-soup texture in just 50 minutes. A silky pea puree folded in off the heat, along with whole sweet peas, Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter, parsley, and a bright hit of lemon, makes for a vivid green bowl that tastes like spring. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 28 Creamy Seafood Risotto Food & Wine / Photo by Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans Arborio rice simmered with onion, saffron, wine, and clam juice forms a fragrant, savory base for this seafood-rich dish, finished with tender shrimp and sweet crab. A spoonful of mascarpone adds an extra layer of lush, velvety creaminess. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 28 Saffron Risotto Jennifer Causey “This decadent amalgam of saffron, stock, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and rice is as comforting as it gets. It’s the perfect dish for celebrating important milestones — no matter how tired you are!” says F&W contributor David McCann of this classic, no-fuss risotto alla Milanese. It comes together in just 30 minutes. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 28 Apple Cider Risotto with Bacon and Butternut Squash GREG DUPREE / FOOD STYLING by CHELSEA ZIMMER / PROP STYLING by THOM DRIVER This autumnal risotto forgoes the usual wine, instead calling on hard apple cider for its mild acidity and sweetness — reach for a dry or off-dry bottle. A portion of the roasted squash is pureed and stirred into the rice for extra creaminess; the rest goes on top. Feel free to swap in pumpkin or kabocha. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 28 Dried Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Goat Cheese Maxwell Cozzi Using the porcini soaking liquid to cook the rice gives this risotto an intensely savory umami flavor. There’s just enough tangy goat cheese to balance the earthy mushrooms without overwhelming the dish. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 28 Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Instead of adding liquid to rice incrementally and stirring, stirring, stirring, you’ll only need to brown the sausage in a skillet on the stovetop, sauté the onion, and give the rice a preliminary round of liquid absorption by cooking it with the wine — before handing it all off to your slow cooker. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 28 Lobster Risotto Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Lobster and saffron come together in creamy arborio rice for a simple yet luxurious dish that’s perfect for a special dinner. You’ll need a pound of meat to make it — no live lobster required. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 28 Pea and Mint Risotto Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee Though this risotto from restaurant critic and cookbook author Patricia Wells is a lovely choice for a spring meal, the use of frozen peas means it’s easy to make any time of year. To use fresh peas, steam them for two minutes before adding them to the rice. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 28 Wild Mushroom and Red Wine Risotto Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek Red wine is a beautiful complement to the earthy wild mushrooms in this risotto — choose a dry, lighter-bodied bottle such as Pinot Noir. If you’ve got homemade chicken stock, now is the time to use it. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 28 Italian Wedding Risotto Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Justin Chapple riffs on the beloved soup by studding creamy arborio rice with garlicky pork meatballs along with ribbons of baby spinach, then serving it with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and a shower of fresh parsley. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 28 Risotto al Salto (Crispy Rice Pancake) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This crispy, savory rice pancake is made from day-old risotto alla Milanese — you’ll need a nonstick pan to pull off its crunchy crust. Serve with a classic gremolata. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 28 Artichoke and Shrimp Gratins Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Anchored by a velvety mixture of arborio rice and melted onions, these individual risotto gratins are studded with shrimp and artichoke hearts. The Parmesan-panko topping turns golden in the oven, creating a crisp contrast. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 28 Risotto with Parsley Puree and Caramelized Garlic Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Chef Alice Delcourt’s vivid risotto layers in parsley puree for fresh, green flavor. Plush with goat and Parmesan cheeses, the dish gets extra depth from a sweet boost of caramelized garlic. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 28 Risotto with Boquerones and Fish Sauce Caramel Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This elegant and unexpected risotto is a specialty of chef Giorgia Eugenia Goggi at her restaurant Masseria Moroseta in Ostuni, Italy. Once the beurre blanc and Parmesan are stirred in, each bowl gets an umami boost from anchovies and fish sauce caramel. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 28 Orzo Risotto with Swiss Chard and Fontina Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle For this pasta-based risotto, toast orzo in butter to bring out its nutty flavor, then cook it slowly, adding hot stock incrementally as you would for arborio rice, until creamy and al dente. Stir in sautéed Swiss chard along with Fontina and Parmesan cheeses to finish the dish. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 28 Croatian Langoustine and Squid Ink Risotto Jennifer Causey There’s no cheese in this risotto, which was inspired by a dish Top Chef winner Joe Flamm tried at a seaside restaurant in Croatia, and butter is only added at the end, which means that frequent stirring is key to the rice’s creaminess, offset by the dramatic color of gently briny squid ink. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 28 Cheesy Farro and Tomato Risotto © LUCY SCHAEFFER Farro stands in for arborio rice in this stick-to-your-ribs risotto made from pantry staples — it takes about 40 minutes to put together. Use unpearled (whole) farro here, not the quick-cooking variety. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 28 Roasted Mushroom and Vermouth Risotto Christopher Testani A pound of your favorite mixed wild mushrooms is oven-roasted until golden and crisp; half are stirred into the rice, and the rest are used to top each bowl. Using dry vermouth instead of wine adds a sophisticated herbal note to cut through the dish’s richness. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 28 Risotto Nero with Squash and Burrata Chris Court Made with Venere black rice, this risotto is especially striking alongside golden, sage-scented butternut squash puree and creamy white burrata — not to mention delicious. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 28 Beet Risotto © Con Poulos This risotto owes its stunning color and delicate sweetness to beets. You’ll want to wear rubber gloves and shred the beets directly into a stainless steel bowl to avoid red hands and countertops. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 28 Fava Bean and Cauliflower Risotto © John Kernick Blanched fava beans combine with cauliflower to bring vegetal flavor and contrasting textures to this springtime delight. Half of the beans and florets are pureed to boost creaminess, while the rest are left whole for a toothsome bite. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 28 Fresh Carrot Risotto © Tara Fisher For this fun take on peas and carrots, Grace Parisi cooks arborio rice in a mix of carrot juice and chicken stock until creamy, folding in vinegar-coated peas at the end for bright contrast. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 28 Clam Risotto with Bacon and Chives © David Malosh Enriched with smoky bacon and fresh chives, this risotto uses both chopped clams and clam juice for a true taste of the sea. One reviewer dubbed it “clam chowder risotto,” given its similarity to the New England soup’s flavor profile. Get the Recipe Save 27 of 28 Broccoli Rabe Risotto with Grilled Lemon © Con Poulos Chef Isaac Becker mixes fresh tarragon, parsley, and savory Parmesan cheese into this flavorful vegetarian risotto, then serves it with grilled lemon and mascarpone. Get the Recipe Save 28 of 28 Crab Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms © Chris Court Oyster mushrooms pair well with shellfish; 1993 F&W Best New Chef Nancy Oakes folds in Dungeness crab, which is abundant in the Bay Area. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Recipes Dinner Rice Dishes Risotto Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit