Recipe excerpted from Daniel Shumski’s How to Instant Pot, on sale now!
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This creamy, comforting Italian rice dish conjures up images of nearly endless stirring, but happily the Instant Pot relieves you of that duty. That’s right, you get all the flavor (and bragging rights) of risotto without the incessant stirring. Serve this risotto as is or prepare it three different ways: with lemon and peas for a bright, springlike flavor, with mushrooms for earthy overtones, or with roasted tomatoes for a concentrated taste of summer.

Master Method: Instant Pot Risotto

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
YIELD: Serves 8

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups reduced-salt chicken broth or chicken stock

Instructions

1. Press Sauté and use the Sauté or Adjust button to select the middle temperature (“Normal”). Place the butter in the inner pot, wait about 1 minute for it to melt, then add the rice. Cook with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until the grains of rice are opaque and well coated in butter, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine with the risotto, scraping the pot so that no risotto sticks to the bottom. Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Pressure Cook and use the Pressure or Pressure Level button to select High Pressure. Use the – or + button to set the time to 7 minutes.
3. When the cooking cycle ends, carefully use a wooden spoon to release the pressure by turning the pressure-release valve to Venting. (The pressure is released when the small metal float valve next to the pressure-release valve sinks back into the lid and the lid is no longer locked.)
4. Press Cancel and remove the lid. Stir the risotto thoroughly and serve hot.

No-Stir Risotto will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Risotto does not reheat particularly well, though. Your best bet is placing it in a pot with a generous splash of chicken broth. Warm the pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat while stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, adding more broth as needed to give the risotto a loose and creamy texture.

Variations

Risotto with Lemon and Peas
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
YIELD: Serves 8
Add the finely grated zest of 2 small lemons to the melted butter in step 1, before adding the rice. After removing the lid, stir in 1 cup frozen peas and stir frequently until the peas are warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Mushroom Risotto
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
YIELD: Serves 8
Start by pressing Sauté and using the Adjust button to select the middle temperature (“Normal”). Place 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the inner pot, wait about 1 minute for the butter to melt, then add 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl, and set them aside at room temperature.

Wearing oven mitts, remove the inner pot (be careful—it’s hot!), and pour any cooking liquid into a large measuring cup. Add enough chicken broth to the cooking liquid to equal 4 cups, and set it aside. (If your measuring cup has just a 2-cup capacity, add enough broth to the cooking liquid to equal 2 cups, pour that into a large bowl, and then measure another 2 cups broth into the bowl—you want a total of 4 cups liquid.)

Return the inner pot to the appliance, and proceed with the Master Method from step 1. In step 2, replace the chicken broth with the reserved cooking liquid mixture. After removing the lid in step 4, add the reserved mushrooms and stir frequently until they are warmed through, about 1 minute. Add finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves just before serving hot.

Roasted Tomato Risotto
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
YIELD: Serves 8
In step 1, substitute ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil for the butter and wait about 15 seconds for the oil to warm before adding the rice. After removing the lid in step 4, add 1 cup drained, diced fire-roasted tomatoes (from one 14½-ounce can) and ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 1 minute. Add thinly sliced ribbons of fresh basil just before serving hot.