risotto

IPA/rɪˈzɒt.əʊ/
KK[rˌisˈɔtˌo]IPA/rɪˈzɑː.t̬oʊ/

risotto — noun

  • risottosingular
  • risottosplural

1. an Italian rice dish made by slowly stirring short-grain rice with hot stock unt

1.nounB1
Definition

an Italian rice dish made by slowly stirring short-grain rice with hot stock until it becomes soft and creamy, often with vegetables, cheese, seafood, or meat

Example

Aarav stirred mushroom risotto slowly as the rice turned soft and creamy.

texture clue: rice turns soft and creamy

Eleni ordered seafood risotto and shared it with her sister at lunch.

menu collocation: seafood risotto

Common collocations
  • mushroom risotto
  • seafood risotto
  • pumpkin risotto
  • cook risotto
  • serve risotto
  • leftover risotto
Synonyms
  • rice dish

    a much broader label that can include many styles, not only the creamy Italian one

  • paella

    another rice dish, but paella is Spanish and the grains stay separate rather than creamy

  • pilaf

    a rice dish with light, separate grains, not the thick texture typical of risotto

Grammar Patterns

eat risotto

cook risotto

a mushroom risotto

two risottos on the menu

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the dish in general, as in We had risotto for dinner. It can also be countable when you mean one serving or one variety on a menu, as in a mushroom risotto or two risottos. Distinguish it from plain cooked rice: risotto names the creamy Italian dish, not rice served by itself.

Common Mistakes

Risotto is just boiled white rice.
Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish cooked slowly with stock.
risotto names a specific dish, not plain cooked rice.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Risotto, paella, pilaf, and congee are all rice dishes, but they differ in texture and cooking method. Risotto is an Italian dish in which short-grain rice is stirred with hot stock until the grains stay slightly firm but the whole dish becomes creamy. Paella is Spanish and is cooked in a wide pan; the rice is not stirred much and usually stays separate. Pilaf also keeps the grains separate and light rather than creamy. Congee uses much more liquid and cooks longer, so it becomes soft like rice porridge. If you want a rich rice dish served on a plate, risotto is the best match. If you want spoonable rice porridge, use congee instead.

risotto ↗paella ↗pilafcongee ↗

Etymology

GreekLatinItalianEnglish

Risotto came into English from Italian risotto. It is built on riso, the Italian word for rice, with a noun-forming ending. The Italian word goes back through Latin to an older Greek word for rice. In English, risotto kept the specific meaning of the northern Italian dish made by slowly cooking rice with hot stock until it turns creamy.