Arborio Rice
What's so special about this rice?
Definition
- Arborio Rice
- An Italian-grown short-grain rice with a hard core, pearly white color, and mild flavor. It's popular for use in risotto because it becomes creamy when cooked because of its high starch (amylopectin) content and wider availability than other "risotto rice".
How much arborio rice per person
If you are not following a recipe, plan on 4 ounces (1/3 cup) of raw (uncooked) arborio rice per person. Adjust this amount as needed depending on what other ingredients go into the recipe.
How do you cook it? What is the rice to liquid ratio?
Arborio rice requires a higher liquid to rice ratio than regular white rice. For each cup of arborio, you'll need 4-5 cups of liquid (water, broth, etc). You can cook it like other white rice (simmer on the stovetop, rice cooker, microwave) if not making risotto which requires constant stirring.
Substitutes
Arborio rice is more expensive than regular long-grain rice and it can also be difficult to find in smaller grocery stores. Or, maybe you're just craving risotto and are out of arborio. Never fear, there are acceptable substitutes to use in recipes like risotto. The key is to find another rice that will a) maintain a bit of a bite to it, and b) provide somewhat of a creamy texture:
- Canaroli (the most authentic for risotto but harder to find)
- Vialone Nano
- Baldo
- Calriso
- Maratelli
- Sushi rice (hint: you can buy it much cheaper at an Asian market than a regular grocery store)
- Basmati
- Medium-grain white rice
- Jasmine rice
You can also substitute other ingredients like pearled barley, large pearl couscous, and orzo for arborio in risotto.
Long-grain rice will typically turn to mush in risotto so we don't recommend it as a substitute for arborio.
What is brown arborio rice?
Brown arborio rice is arborio that still has the bran layer (white rice has that layer removed). It is lower in starch than white arborio but it has more protein. It's not great for risotto, but it's delicious in any dish calling for a short grain brown rice.
Brown arborio only requires 2 1/2 to 3 cups of liquid per 1 cup of rice.
Recipes using arborio rice
Stuffed rice balls aren't just an Asian delicacy. These cheesy Italian saffron rice balls are filled with pork or veal and then breaded and fried until golden brown.
Love risotto but don't have time to stand around stirring? Try this delicious crock pot recipe that uses arborio rice, white wine, chicken broth, and parmesan cheese.
