Risotto alla Milanese (Saffron Risotto)

Whether you serve it as a side dish or as an entrée, this traditional Risotto alla Milanese (or Saffron Risotto) does not disappoint.  Creamy rice with the subtle fragrance and flavor of saffron — you would surely be asking for seconds!

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A creamy rice dish is always excellent comfort food.  But if you add saffron and cheese to that — just heavenly.

And on the off chance that you have some risotto Milanese leftovers, do what I usually do, serve them as arancini the following day.

IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Olive oil – I suggest using extra virgin olive oil.

• Rice – I always use medium-grain rice from North Italy called carnaroli. It’s the best type of rice for making risotto alla Milanese because it has a higher starch content, and it keeps its shape better. 

• Onion – yellow onion, chopped as finely as possible.

• White wine – any dry white wine will be great for this saffron risotto recipe.

• Saffron – you can use powder or saffron threads.

• Butter – I use unsalted butter for this recipe.

• Parmigiano Reggiano – freshly grated for adding creaminess and for serving.

• Stock – to keep it authentic, I use veal stock for this risotto Milanese recipe.

• Salt – you might not need to use this at all if your stock is seasoned.

Preparation

Start preparing your risotto Milanese by bringing the stock to a boil (photo 1).

Keep it simmering — a crucial step in making saffron risotto.

Using a medium to a large pan, pour and heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add chopped onion and cook until it’s softened.

Add rice and cook for about three to four minutes, toasting the grain while mixing (photo 2).

Pour wine (photo 3).

Let the wine evaporate while mixing the rice; you should see the creaminess starting to come out now.

Pour about a ladle and a half of the simmering stock (photo 4).

Continue stirring until the liquid is almost gone, then pour another ladle of the stock.  Keep repeating this for about twelve minutes.

Add the saffron (photo 5).

Repeat the process of pouring stock again until the rice is cooked, typically about six more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning during this time.

Take the pan off the heat and add the butter and grated parmigiano Reggiano (photo 6).

Stir gently to mix, then cover with a lid for about a minute.

Transfer your risotto alla Milanese into plates, then serve — add more grated cheese on top, if desired.

Helpful tips

• Chop the onion as fine as you can.  

It should disappear into the rice once the pan of saffron risotto is taken off the heat.

• While it generally takes twenty minutes to cook the rice, there can be some minor differences in cooking time.  

Hence, make sure you check the instructions in the package of the rice.

• If you are not using seasoned stock, start seasoning your risotto alla Milanese earlier, then just adjust it in the latter part of cooking.

• The butter needs to be chilled, not softened.

• When seasoning, keep in mind that you still need to add the parmigiano; so, go easy on the salt.

Recipe variation

• Other stock. While using veal stock is the authentic way of making risotto alla Milanese, beef and chicken stock can also be used as an alternative.

• Arborio rice. This short-grain rice is more widely available than carnaroli and is an excellent substitute for this classic saffron risotto recipe.

• Sparkling wine. While I have always used dry white wine, I have some friends who prefer to use prosecco instead.  So don’t hesitate to give it a try.

• Stracchino cheese. It’s certainly not traditional, but adding some stracchino (a type of Italian soft cheese) at the last cooking stage will add more creaminess to your risotto Milanese.

FAQ

See how easy it is to make risotto Milanese?  Give it a try this week, and let me know what you think! 

📖 Recipe