What does risotto mean?
Risotto is an Italian dish in which rice is cooked slowly in seasoned stock, usually with frequent stirring. The process allows the rice to release starch, producing the dish’s characteristic creamy texture, while added ingredients can provide savory, sweet, or aromatic flavors. Classic examples include mushroom risotto and risotto alla Milanese, the latter traditionally prepared with saffron and parmesan. The word is now used beyond Italian cooking for comparable rice dishes, though the technique and flavor profile remain closely associated with Italy. Although risotto is often described as creamy, properly made risotto is generally loose and flowing rather than thick like a sauce. Its reputation depends on careful control of heat, stock, and stirring, making it both a familiar menu item and a demanding home-cooking technique.
nounAn Italian dish made with rice cooked slowly in seasoned stock, often with vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, or herbs. The rice is stirred during cooking and may be creamy or served with a firm texture.
- An Italian rice dish prepared by slowly cooking rice in seasoned stock, usually while stirring, with optional additions such as vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, or herbs.
"For dinner, she served a rich mushroom risotto with parmesan and fresh thyme."
"The restaurant’s signature risotto is made with wild mushrooms and finished with aged parmesan."
"He explained that a good risotto should be loose and creamy, rather than dry or overly firm."
The usual plural form, used when referring to multiple servings or varieties of the dish.
"The menu offers several risottos, including one made with black truffle."
Risotto turns one ingredient—rice—into an exercise in patience: the grains are gradually cooked in hot stock while the dish is stirred to release their starch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of risotto
The English word comes from Italian risotto, the name of a rice dish associated especially with northern Italian cuisine. Italian risotto developed within the tradition of cooking rice in broth and is related etymologically to riso, the Italian word for rice. The English culinary term became established during the 19th century as risotto dishes became known in wider European and international cookery.
Related word forms
How risotto is actually used
The term is most associated with Italian cuisine, especially risotto alla Milanese, but it is also used for similar rice dishes in other culinary traditions. It is normally a countable noun.