Chef Graziella
Arancini di Riso alla Siciliana
Golden fried rice balls from Sicily, where Arab cooks first wrapped saffron-scented rice around meat and cheese. The exterior shatters; the interior yields. This is street food elevated to art.
Culinary Explorer
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Risotto al Barolo
Created by
The aristocratic risotto of the Langhe, where Nebbiolo grapes become Barolo and Barolo becomes this extraordinary dish. Deep garnet, velvety, and worth every drop of wine that goes into it.
Main Dishes
Italian, Piedmontese
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Romantic
15 min
Active Time
35 min cook•50 min total
Yield4 servings
This is not a risotto for Tuesday night. This is a risotto for occasions that demand something extraordinary, when you open a bottle of one of Italy's greatest wines and give half of it to the pot. The Piemontese understand that what you put into a dish determines what you get out of it.
Barolo is made from Nebbiolo grapes grown in the hills of the Langhe, where the fog settles into the valleys each autumn and the wine develops a complexity that defies easy description. When you cook with it, those tannins soften, the fruit concentrates, and the rice absorbs a flavor that no other wine can provide. The color alone tells you this is something different: deep garnet, almost purple, the color of wine country at dusk.
Do not attempt this with cheap wine. The Piemontese say you should never cook with wine you would not drink, and they are correct. A young Barolo works well here because the tannins mellow during cooking, but it must be genuine Barolo. Substitutions defeat the purpose entirely. If you cannot afford to pour good wine into the pot, make a different risotto and save this one for when you can.
Risotto al Barolo emerged from the prosperous farmhouses of the Langhe in Piedmont, where winemaking families had access to their own Nebbiolo wines and the Carnaroli rice grown in the plains to the east. The dish became a celebration of regional abundance: the wine of the hills meeting the rice of the lowlands, a marriage that could only happen in this corner of Italy.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
beef or veal broth
Quantity
6 cups
preferably homemade
unsalted butter
Quantity
4 tablespoons
divided
shallot
Quantity
1 medium
minced fine
Carnaroli or Arborio rice
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
Barolo wine
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Quantity
3/4 cup
freshly grated, plus more for serving
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| beef or veal brothpreferably homemade | 6 cups |
| unsalted butterdivided | 4 tablespoons |
| shallotminced fine | 1 medium |
| Carnaroli or Arborio rice | 1 1/2 cups |
| Barolo wine | 1 1/2 cups |
| Parmigiano-Reggianofreshly grated, plus more for serving | 3/4 cup |
| kosher salt | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy-bottomed 4-quart pot or deep sauté pan
- •Medium saucepan for broth
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Instructions
- 1
Heat the broth
Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth hot throughout the cooking process. Cold broth added to hot rice stops the cooking and produces gummy risotto. This is non-negotiable.
- 2
Soften the shallot
In a heavy-bottomed pot or deep sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. The shallot should have no color whatsoever. You want sweetness, not caramelization.
This risotto uses shallot rather than onion because shallot is more delicate and will not compete with the wine. The wine is the star here. - 3
Toast the rice
Add the rice to the shallot and stir it thoroughly for 2 minutes. Every grain must be coated with butter. You will see the rice become translucent at the edges while the center remains opaque. Listen: you should hear a faint crackling sound. This toasting creates the foundation for proper risotto texture.
- 4
Add the wine
Pour in the Barolo all at once. The wine will sizzle and steam dramatically. Stir constantly as the rice absorbs the wine, watching as the grains take on that magnificent garnet color. Continue stirring until the wine is nearly absorbed and you can draw a clear path across the bottom of the pan. This takes 3 to 4 minutes.
The aroma at this moment will fill your kitchen. The raw alcohol burns off, leaving only the concentrated essence of Nebbiolo. If this does not make you pause and appreciate what you are creating, I cannot help you. - 5
Add broth gradually
Begin adding the hot broth one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. The rice should always be moist but never swimming. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer: too high and the outside of the grain cooks before the inside; too low and the starch does not release properly. This process takes approximately 18 minutes. There are no shortcuts.
Taste the rice at 16 minutes. You want it tender but with a faint resistance at the core, what Italians call al'onda. The risotto will continue cooking off the heat, so stop one minute before you think it is done. - 6
Finish with mantecatura
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cut into pieces, and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir vigorously for one full minute. This is the mantecatura, the step that transforms risotto from rice in broth to something creamy and unified. The risotto should flow like a wave when you shake the pot. Taste for salt and adjust.
The mantecatura happens off the heat. This is essential. If you add cheese to boiling risotto, it seizes and becomes stringy rather than creamy. - 7
Serve immediately
Spoon the risotto onto warmed plates, spreading it to the edges so it flows naturally. The surface should ripple when you tilt the plate. Serve at once, passing additional Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table. Once the risotto is plated, invite your guests and family to put off talking and start eating. Risotto waits for no one.
Chef Tips
- •Use a young Barolo, three to five years old. The tannins in older, more developed wines become bitter when concentrated through cooking. Save your aged bottles for drinking.
- •Carnaroli rice is preferred over Arborio for this dish. It has higher starch content and a firmer core, producing risotto that stays al'onda longer. Arborio works adequately, but Carnaroli is superior.
- •The broth matters tremendously. Homemade beef or veal broth provides body that water or commercial broth cannot match. If using commercial broth, choose low-sodium and taste frequently for salt.
- •There is no garlic in this risotto. There is no cream. The Piemontese would not recognize a risotto al Barolo that contained either. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.
Advance Preparation
- •The broth can be made several days ahead and refrigerated, or months ahead and frozen. Homemade broth transforms this dish.
- •Risotto cannot be made in advance. It must be served within minutes of finishing. You can toast the rice and add the wine up to 30 minutes before guests arrive, then hold it and continue with the broth when ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 250g)
Calories
510 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
11 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
50 mg
Sodium
950 mg
Total Carbohydrates
64 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
12 g
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