23 Risotto Recipes to Make Again and Again

In this recipe, roasted butternut squash is incorporated into hearty risotto, and then topped with juicy shrimp. Finish off the dish with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

This lusciously creamy mushroom risotto gets extra texture and flavor from chicken. If you're using canned chicken broth to make risotto, make sure it's low-sodium. The broth reduces at the same time that it's cooking into the rice, and regular canned broth would become too salty.

"There are some dishes in Croatia, like this risotto, which we call specijaliteti, which means they are just special," chef Ino Kuvačić writes in his book Dalmatia: Recipes from Croatia's Mediterranean Coast. "You could call this the magical dish of the Adriatic, because it will enchant your taste buds."

Chef Isaac Becker's vegetarian risotto is enriched with a flavorful broccoli rabe that's stirred in before serving. The method is a little simpler than the one for traditional risotto: instead of stirring in hot stock by the cupful, it's added in just two batches.

Slowly cooking the butternut squash along with the rice not only makes this a simple one-pot dish, but allows every drop of flavor to infuse the risotto.

This clever "risotto" is made with carrot juice and chicken broth and dotted with peas, for a fun take on peas and carrots.

This risotto recipe calls for drained chopped clams and bottled clam juice. If you buy just-shucked whole clams instead, use their liquid and skip the bottled juice; just be sure to strain it through a paper towel first to remove any grit.

Using the mushroom-soaking liquid to cook the rice gives this risotto intense flavor. There's just enough goat cheese to balance the earthiness of the porcini with a touch of tartness without overwhelming the dish.

At Craft in New York City, Tom Colicchio paired chef James Tracey's pea-bacon risotto with the late Hollywood-turned-vitner Mark Tarlov's Oregon Pinot Noir. The bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese were added to the risotto so it would go with the wine.

Chef Massimiliano Alajmo's risotto tip: Stir in a little reserved hot stock at the end to keep the rice from getting too gummy. Here, Alajmo infuses the stock with espresso beans, then garnishes the risotto with pungent capers.

When chef Ryan Poli and his kitchen staff tried finishing orzo risotto-style (stirring the cooked orzo with stock until creamy) they got fantastic results with impressive speed.

"Despite its name, sweet brown rice isn't sweet," says chef Marco Canora. Instead, this short-grain glutinous rice resembles whole-grain sushi rice. Here, Canora uses it to make a hearty vegetarian risotto.

This lovely risotto is finished with a cauliflower-and-fava puree, which makes it extra-creamy.

Chef Alba Esteve Ruiz flavors this buttery risotto with both salted anchovies and colatura, the deeply savory Italian version of fish sauce. The candied ginger garnish provides the perfect contrast to the rich dish.

Roasting mushrooms concentrates their flavor, while dry vermouth offers an aromatic kick to this otherwise classic risotto.

In her low-fuss risotto, former F&W editor Kay Chun doesn't bother with stirring. Instead, she bakes the rice in the oven and then adds shrimp and cheese at the very end.

For this fabulous seafood risotto, chef Nancy Oakes folds in Dungeness crab, which is abundant in the Bay Area, but the dish is wonderful with any fresh local crab. If oyster mushrooms aren't available, try other varieties, like clamshell, lobster or abalone mushrooms. All are excellent with shellfish.

This easy risotto is studded with shrimp and pieces of plump asparagus, and delicately flavored with saffron. It's the perfect fresh-tasting spring dish.

Former F&W editor Paige McCurdy-Flynn poaches delicate cod in a tasty broth, then uses that enriched broth to cook creamy risotto.

Chef Nancy Oakes makes this gorgeous risotto with Venere black rice, a naturally black short-grain variety. The glossy grains are especially striking served with the golden butternut squash puree and creamy white burrata.

"This decadent amalgam of saffron, stock, Parmigiano, 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.

For this creamy Croatian risotto, chef Joe Flamm was inspired by a dish from Gverovic-Orsan, a seafood restaurant on the Adriatic Sea. Squid ink provides dark color and a gentle brininess. Rather than lots of butter and cheese, this risotto relies entirely on stirring to make it creamy, so stay close by as it cooks. You can substitute the langoustines with eight large shrimp or four halved Maine lobster tails, if needed.

A small pinch of saffron goes a long way in imparting a vibrant golden hue and floral fragrance to this creamy, rich lobster risotto. Precooked lobster and bottled clam juice deliver robust layers of flavor with a minimum amount of effort, making this a perfect weeknight supper. Pair it with a bottle of white Bordeaux, recommends sommelier Tonya Pitts, of Les Dames D'Escoffier International, San Francisco. "I love white Bordeaux with this easy dish," she says. "It highlights the lobster and creaminess of the risotto, ultimately becoming intertwined with the flavor and textures."