Risotto all’Amarone | Extravagant Italian Wine Risotto Recipe

This recipe, which we discovered in the Italian city of Verona, is so far our favorite risotto recipe. It has an incredible balance of acidity and fatty richness that we find irresistible. While it’s an incredible dish that’s worth trying, it does come with a catch…

Risotto all’Amarone | Extravagant Italian Wine Risotto Recipe

The Ingredients for Risotto all’Amarone

As the name suggests, risotto all’Amarone is made with the famous and lauded Amarone red wine. As wine enthusiasts will know, it’s an incredible drink but also one of the more expensive Italian wines out there. While most people (erroneously, in our opinion) think that it’s a waste to use good wine for cooking, the Italian philosophy is that good wine makes good food, and we think this risotto is exemplary of the mantra’s truth.

That being said, you can still make an excellent wine risotto with a different variety. It won’t be a real risotto all’Amarone, but it’s sure to be delicious if you use a good wine (would you enjoy drinking it?) and seek out a rich, full-bodied red.

Perhaps a bigger challenge with this recipe is the cheese. Traditionally, it’s made with Monte Veronese, which even we couldn’t find in southern Italy. After trying some substitutions, we can confidently say that this risotto is best when using the right cheese, but most people won’t be able to find it. Look for a good, aged, strong Asiago as the closest substitute.

Finally, in Verona, they use their own variety of rice: viallone nano. It’s widely available online but can be substituted with carnaroli or arborio rice if those are the only available options.

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RISOTTO ALL’AMARONE RECIPE

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Cook Time: 30 minutes

For this recipe, you will need:

• 8 cups (2 liters) vegetable broth

• 3 cups (710 milliliters) Amarone red wine

• 1 ⅓ cups (320 grams) vialone nano rice

• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter, divided

• ½ large white onion, diced

• 1.75 ounces (50 grams) Monte Veronese or aged Asiago cheese, chopped

• 1.75 ounces (50 grams) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (optional, but recommended if substituting the Monte Veronese with Asiago)

In a medium pot, warm the broth on the stovetop; it does not need to boil or simmer. The saltiness of the stock is what will season the risotto. Most store-bought broths are already plenty salty, but if using a homemade broth, be sure to salt it to taste. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, warm the wine over low heat. It’s very important that the wine doesn’t reach a boil, it should just be warm.

Add the rice to a small skillet and toast over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring or tossing frequently to avoid burning it. Remove from the heat.



In a large pan or shallow pot (a sauté pan works well), add 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the butter, the onion, and rosemary. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the onion is tender and slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir everything together until the rice is completely coated in butter.

Ladle in about half of the wine, reduce the heat to medium-low, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer the rice, stirring occasionally. As the wine evaporates, ladle in broth as needed to keep the rice barely submerged.

When the rice is about halfway cooked (it usually takes 15 to 17 minutes for the rice to reach al dente but consult the recommended cook time on the package), stop adding broth and go back to adding wine, treating it just like you did the vegetable broth. When all the wine has been added, you can switch back to adding broth when needed.

Keep simmering the risotto, stirring occasionally and adding broth when necessary, until the rice is al dente to your taste. As the rice nears completion, reduce the amount of added broth so that the risotto thickens slightly.

When the rice is cooked to your taste and the consistency of the risotto is creamy but not soupy, turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter, the Monte Veronese cheese (and the Parmigiano, if you choose to use it). Cover the pan and let the risotto rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Buon appetito!