Risotto is the Italian rice dish cooked slowly with broth and finished with butter and Parmesan.
Its characteristic creamy texture comes from gradually adding hot broth while stirring rice, rather than boiling it in a large volume of liquid and draining it. Short- or medium-grain varieties such as Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano contain starch that is released during cooking. The rice is commonly toasted first in butter or oil, a step called tostatura, and may be deglazed with white wine.
At the end, cooks remove the pan from the heat and perform mantecatura, stirring in cold butter and grated cheese to create a smooth, emulsified finish. Proper risotto should remain slightly firm, or al dente, and fluid enough to spread across a plate.
Risotto developed especially in northern Italy, where the Po Valley's wetlands support rice cultivation. Risotto alla milanese, flavored with saffron, is one of its best-known variations. Unlike pilaf, the rice is intentionally stirred and enriched with released starch; unlike paella, it is not normally cooked as a relatively undisturbed layered rice dish.