Saffron, which is fragrant and aromatic, is the ideal addition to a straightforward yet delicious risotto. This recipe can be quickly made in a pressure cooker, or you can make it the old-fashioned manner in a conventional pot.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 16 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 mins |
| Total Time: | 33 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups vegetable broth
- 3 ½ tablespoons hot water
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, thinly sliced
- 10 ½ ounces Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ¾ ounces pancetta, cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Pour vegetable stock into a saucepan over low heat. Cover and keep warm.
- Combine hot water and saffron threads in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stovetop pressure cooker. Cook and stir onion until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add Arborio rice; cook and stir until toasted and coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase heat and pour in wine; simmer until alcohol has evaporated and rice has absorbed wine, about 2 minutes.
- Stir vegetable stock and saffron mixture into the pressure cooker. Seal according to manufacturer’s instructions. Increase heat to high; cook until cooker whistles, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove cooker from heat and release pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the lid. Stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, pancetta, and butter. Let stand until rice absorbs remaining stock and Parmesan cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes.
- If using a regular pot, use 1 quart vegetable stock. Follow recipe above through step 3. Once the wine has been absorbed, reduce heat to medium and stir in warm stock 1 ladleful at a time, stirring after each addition until it is fully absorbed. The rice will take 18 to 20 minutes to cook fully. Add the saffron halfway through cooking. Once the rice is fully cooked, stir in Parmesan cheese, pancetta, and butter. Remove from heat and let stand 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
- Cooking risotto in a pressure cooker is ridiculously convenient, but it requires almost perfection in timing and quantities. The stock has to be a tiny bit more than twice the weight of the rice. For instance, if you use 4 ounces of rice, the stock will always be 8 to 9 fluid ounces at most. Also, the cooking time after the first whistle should not exceed 4 minutes sharp, so use a timer. Longer cooking will result in overcooked rice. When you open the cooker, if the rice tastes a bit raw and there’s still stock in the cooker, don’t worry; it will keep cooking during resting time and absorb any remaining stock, which is very important in preparing risotto. Don’t skip this step!
- Instead of saffron threads, you can use a sachet of saffron powder.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 510 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 67 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 644 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I have made this recipe but not in a pressure cooker. I must say that going the traditional route, you might need more broth. I used the amount that the recipe called for, but my rice still seemed a bit too under cooked for my preference. It was not even close to al dente. I will make it again just with that little extra cup of warm broth ready just in case I need to add more.
Very easy and super delicious! I was looking for a risotto recipe that uses a pressure cooker, just like my mom does. Thanks for the tips! They really helped
I’m from a family of Northern Italians. We’ve made Risotto Milanese for generations. So, I decided to give this recipe a try for a dinner with my Grandmother, Mother and Brother. I used it as a side dish. Everyone was amazed and astonished with the ease and speed of the pressure cooker version. I followed the recipe to the letter. Try this if you are a risotto fan. It is very authentic and delicious. Don’t make this risotto or the regular stove top version in advance. After sitting it becomes a starchy mess.
For those of you with an Instant Pot, I just put it on the rice setting and the risotto is perfect!
Very good. I made in the skillet, the traditional way. My mom just mailed me some good quality saffron from Morocco and I was eager to use it. The family asked for a risotto. So, I decided to try this recipe but had to make some changes because of dietary restrictions.. I omitted the wine but added extra broth. I used some cubed leftover cooked chicken for the Pancetta. Also, I needed to add some salt because my broth was the low sodium kind.
While this calls for a slow cooker, I went the traditional route and used the “Cook’s Notes” to adjust. We made this exactly as called for and it was delicious. Next time around we will dice the onion. We really enjoyed this and will definitely be making this again!
I’ve always been skeptical of cooking risotto in a pressure cooker. We make risotto-the traditional way- at least three times a week. Making it in a pressure cooker just scared me. After seeing this in the Jan 2018 magazine, I decided to give it a try. It really works. I added a half cup more broth than written and it was a bit watery, but I cooked it down a bit (about 45 seconds) before adding the cheese. The consistency was perfect. The rice was not mushy. This is a recipe to trust. I will use it again, definitely. Grazie, Miche!
This is an exceptional way to make risotto. The last time I made it regularly, I had to make it earlier than serving time and it was a mess by the time I reheated it. This, however, came together perfectly. It’s got great flavor and it was so easy to pull together in my stovetop pressure cooker.