Arborio Vs Carnaroli: How To Choose Between These 2 Risotto Rices

Risotto combines complex flavors with luxurious creaminess, making it a rare dish that is equally suitable as a comforting weeknight dinner at home or as the main course at a fancy restaurant. How one makes the classic Italian rice dish is similarly polarizing. It can be a fickle one to perfect and traditionally involves lots of stirring as the rice gradually absorbs the broth, which is poured in bit by bit. 

Fortunately, there are several simple tips for making risotto like a pro that can help make this your go-to dish whenever you feel like whipping up a nice Italian meal. Risotto is also a very flexible dish, and you can use almost any broth, veggies, and protein you may have. However, that's not the case with the rice. As the dish's main ingredient, risotto rice must be selected carefully to ensure a well-balanced bite that's creamy, nutty, and textured (as opposed to mushy or goopy).

Arborio and Carnaroli are two common rice varieties to use for this dish. Risotto rice must have a short or medium grain size and high starch content to build creaminess. It must also be able to hold shape and have a decent bite when cooked. Both Arborio and Carnaroli offer good results as long as you avoid common mistakes that can ruin your risotto. The latter holds its form better, resulting in a firmer texture. However, it is also harder to find, while Arborio is widely available and faster to cook.

Arborio rice should be your go-to if you enjoy making quick and simple risotto dishes. It is very easy to find and results in a luxuriously creamy dish. It also cooks faster, which can help cut down on the stirring time. However, this also makes it susceptible to overcooking, which can make the risotto's texture a little too much like porridge.

When using Arborio rice, toast it well in olive oil or butter to build a nice, nutty flavor. Since this type of rice is softer when cooked than Carnaroli, it's also a good idea to include ingredients that add a bit of texture to the dish — vegetables for some bite or succulent bits of meat, seafood, or mushroom. Another standard, easy-to-cook rice that can be used for risotto is Bomba, a Spanish rice often used to make paella. It has a short grain and sufficient starch content to build a luxurious, creamy texture.

If you're a risotto perfectionist working on making the most authentic (and delicious) version in your home kitchen, Carnaroli rice is your best bet. There are other varieties, like Maratelli, which make for an even more elevated risotto, but such varieties can be a challenge to find outside Italy. Compared to them, Carnaroli is easier to source. However, it still isn't available everywhere and is usually pricier than Arborio.

Carnaroli rice cooks slowly, but holds its texture better. Therefore, you need to be more watchful of undercooking it as opposed to Arborio, which is easy to overcook. When prepared correctly, Carnaroli rice results in a risotto with a great balance of creaminess, nutty flavor, and bite, which is why chefs often use it. Careful prep can also help your risotto cook faster, so if you get the chance to pick up Carnaroli rice, then do so. With some practice, you can start churning out authentic risotto using it. Because it holds texture so well, Carnaroli is also suitable for making simple, classic risottos with just a few ingredients where the rice takes center stage. If you plan on using fine ingredients like truffles or saffron in your risotto, spring for Carnaroli to ensure the dish does justice to the pricey ingredients.