Ina Garten's Simple Trick for the Easiest Risotto Ever

When I see risotto on the menu at an Italian restaurant, I almost always order it. I love the silky, creamy texture of the arborio rice and the flavor of the wine, butter, and Parmesan cheese. I also love that I didn’t have to make it.

I have a bit of a hangover from a much earlier experience trying out risotto. I wasn’t much of a cook in my early 20s, but that didn’t stop me from inviting my then-boyfriend (now-husband) over for an “Italian” dinner.

We’d had risotto at a local restaurant, and since I was young and therefore capable of anything (insert eye roll), I set out to make it. “It can’t be that hard,” I remember thinking. I was right: It wasn’t hard. But I still somehow managed to ruin the meal. My husband, the gentleman he was, claimed to enjoy each overly mushy, clumpy bite, but I knew my Italian dinner was a bust.

Luckily, I learned from my mistakes and can now whip up a mean pot of risotto without much thinking. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love a good cooking hack to help make the process easier. Ina Garten has come up with just the thing.

If you’ve attempted risotto, you know it’s not exactly a "set it and forget it” situation. It requires plenty of ladling, stirring, and monitoring, which is fine if you want a meditative cooking experience. I find that risotto doesn’t give me the freedom to accomplish other tasks while it cooks, and I usually need the time to get everything else prepped for the table.

That’s why I was intrigued to learn that Ina has a method for cooking risotto without all of the babysitting. All I needed was a big pot and an oven. That’s right: Her trick for the easiest risotto is to cook it in the oven!

Ina’s recipe couldn't be simpler. She starts by combining the arborio rice and chicken stock in a large Dutch oven and bakes it at 350°F until the rice is al dente, which takes about 45 minutes. Next, she adds a bit more stock, some white wine, Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and peas. Then, she stirs “vigorously” until the risotto is thick and creamy.

I must admit that I was a bit skeptical of this process, considering every recipe for risotto I’ve ever seen uses the stovetop method. I should’ve known better than to doubt her. She’s a genius in the kitchen!

The risotto was fantastic. The rice was cooked perfectly, and the addition of wine, cheese, and butter at the end made the dish incredibly flavorful. I absolutely plan on making this oven risotto again, but with a few modifications that I’m sharing below. Otherwise, it looks like I found my new favorite way of making risotto!

Tips for Making Ina Garten’s Risotto

• Toast the rice. Perhaps this defeats the simple nature of the dish, but I recommend toasting the rice in some butter before sending it to the oven. It only takes a minute but adds flavor and helps the rice cook evenly.
• Consider some aromatics. Before you toast that risotto, cook up a bit of onion and garlic for an added boost of flavor. 
• Replace the peas. The peas are a delicious addition, but not the only option! Try adding pre-cooked and frozen, diced butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Stir in fresh baby spinach, or add any leftover, cooked vegetable you have in your fridge. 

With Garten’s method, and my upgrades, you might never go back to stovetop risotto again!