Risotto Ingredients

On the menu today: risotto. One of the most comforting Italian dishes, risotto is creamy, warming, and infinitely customizable to include your favorite ingredients or flavors. From the northern risotto alla Milanese, tinted golden with saffron, to seafood-stocked versions from the coastal south, risotto is beloved across the country. Here, you’ll find everything you need to make this deliciously classic Italian food favorite.    

Rice was first introduced to Italy in the Middle Ages as international trade and travel exposed Italian merchants to products from India and Asia. The Duke of Milan was one of the first to recognize the possibilities of this new crop, and he encouraged his subjects to begin growing rice in the Po Valley. As it turns out, the swampy lowland that stretches from Torino to Modena has the ideal climate for rice cultivation. Today, it’s the largest rice-growing region in Europe.

Arborio rice is the variety most commonly used for risotto, and its grains are the largest of the rice varieties grown in Italy. But many Italian chefs prefer another variety, the ultra-fine carnaroli. Whichever you choose, you can trust these Italian rice will cook up luscious and smooth, never gluey, with distinct grains of rice still evident in the finished product.

If you’d rather skip the step of choosing a risotto recipe, we’ve got pre-made kits that contain everything you need to make a perfect risotto for dinner in a snap. They come complete with rice, vegetables, and seasonings, so all you need to add is olive oil and water to make restaurant-quality risotto a reality in your kitchen.

Whether you’re making a luxurious risotto with truffles for a dinner party or a simple weeknight meal, we have everything you need to cook up something brilliant. From carefully aged rice to olive oils, tomatoes, and spices, we’ve collected the best risotto ingredients from Italian artisan producers right here.