Did you know that risotto is a great Italian dish that people on a gluten free diet can enjoy? Yes, most risotto is naturally gluten free! Read the post to learn more about gluten free risotto and how to make sure your risotto is safe for a gluten free diet or for those with celiac disease.
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Table of Contents
- What Is Risotto?
- Is Risotto A Rice or Pasta?
- What Is Gluten?
- Is Risotto Gluten Free?
- Is Arborio Rice Gluten Free?
- Is Risotto Dairy Free?
- Can You Make Gluten Free Risotto At Home?
- Homemade Gluten Free Risotto Gorgonzola Recipe
- What Brand of Risotto Is Gluten Free?
- Is Rice Considered Gluten-Free?
- Which is Healthier Risotto or Pasta?
- Is Risotto Good For Weight Loss?
- Is Risotto A Heavy Carb?
- Is Arborio Rice Hard to Digest?
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. See my Affiliate Disclosure to read my policy and more about affiliate links.
What Is Risotto?
If you’re not familiar with Italian food you may not know what Risotto is! Risotto is an Italian creamy rice dish made by stirring chicken or vegetable stock into the rice as it cooks on the stove top.
The Italian word risotto literally translates to rice in english. In the United States we eat rice in many different ways. But Italians tend to eat creamy rice that we call risotto to differentiate between the many types of rice dishes commonly consumed in America.
Italians enjoy their rice by cooking it with aromatics and then slowly stirring in the broth until the rice is fully cooked and creamy. The texture of risotto is similar to creamy oat meal. It’s rich, buttery and comforting!
Is Risotto A Rice or Pasta?
Risotto is a rice dish not a pasta dish. Many people who don’t know what risotto is confuse risotto with pasta. Risotto is not pasta dish because it’s made with rice. The Italian word risotto literally translates to rice in English.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is glue like protein found in wheat that gives bread it’s structure. In the body gluten’s paste like texture makes it hard to digest. For people who don’t have a gluten allergy will notice that eating gluten can make them feel bloated or constipated. This is because gluten slows down the transit time in the intestine.
On the flip side for people with a literal gluten allergy have a disease called Celiac disease. If you have celiac disease when you eat gluten it triggers an allergic response by your immune system.
Is Risotto Gluten Free?
Most risotto is gluten free by default since rice is a naturally gluten free grain. The other ingredients we use most often to make risotto are also naturally gluten free. These ingredients include:
- aromatics like garlic and onion
- herbs and spices like salt and pepper
- dairy like parmesan cheese and butter.
- Stock or Broth like chicken or vegetable stock.
Of course, every recipe for risotto is different. If you’re eating risotto at a restaurant you should always check with your server to make sure that the risotto is gluten free.
Is Arborio Rice Gluten Free?
Yes all rice is naturally gluten free this includes white rice, basmati rice, brown rice and arborio rice! Arborio rice is a gluten free rice that has a ton of starch in it. The starchy nature of rice makes people think they’re eating couscous!
It’s creamy texture is what confuses people into thinking that Arborio rice has gluten in it. Luckily Arborio rice is naturally gluten free therefore risotto is generally gluten free too!
Is Risotto Dairy Free?
Risotto can be made dairy free or with dairy. You need a fat to make risotto in order to sauté the onions and garlic before you add the rice to the stove. You can use a dairy based fat like butter or a plant based fat like olive oil!
Every risotto recipe is different. Many risotto recipes use parmesan or other type of cheese to add flavor. But you don’t have to add cheese. The best way to make risotto dairy free is to use olive oil to sauté the onions and leave the cheese out.
On the other hand, you can also stir vegan parmesan cheese or vegan ricotta cheese at the end of the recipe to add a great non-dairy cheesy taste!
So in short: Not all risotto is dairy free but it can be made without dairy. Always ask your server if the risotto is made with dairy.
Can You Make Gluten Free Risotto At Home?
Yes! It’s easy to make gluten free risotto at home. For the full recipe to make gluten free risotto gorgonzola click this link!
Ingredients You Need To Make Homemade Gluten Free Risotto
- Unsalted Organic Butter
- White Onion
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic
- Arborio Rice
- Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
Step By Step How To Make Risotto Gluten Free
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on the stovetop in an oven-safe deep skillet with a lid.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onions, salt, and pepper. Sauté until translucent. Next, add the minced garlic and sauté, stirring quickly until fragrant. Stir often so that the garlic does not burn.
- Add 1 cup of arborio rice and stir until the rice absorbs the liquid. Add 4 cups of the warmed stock and cover the pan.
- Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, and use a fork to fluff the risotto. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and gorgonzola cheese. Stir vigorously for 1 minute, or until the rice is creamy, and serve!
Homemade Gluten Free Risotto Gorgonzola Recipe
For the full recipe click on the link above!
How to Order Dairy Free Risotto at a Restaurant
If you want to order dairy free risotto at a restaurant ask them to cook the rice with olive oil and to leave out the cheese.
What Brand of Risotto Is Gluten Free?
There are plenty of good gluten free risotto brands on the market including:
- Lundberg Family Farms
- Alexia Gluten Free Frozen Butternut Squash Risotto
- Knorr Four Cheese Risotto Rice Mix
- Right Rice Creamy Parmesan-Style RightRice Risotto
- Scott & Jon’s Gluten Free Frozen Shrimp Risotto Rice Bowl
Is Rice Considered Gluten-Free?
Yes all rice is naturally gluten free this includes white rice, basmati rice, brown rice and arborio rice!
Which is Healthier Risotto or Pasta?
Risotto is much healthier than pasta because pasta is a processed food made from wheat while risotto is made from rice. Rice is healthier than pasta because it’s a naturally gluten free whole grain while pasta is a processed wheat that contains gluten.
Is Risotto Good For Weight Loss?
Risotto is not good for weight loss because it’s high in carbs and calories. A small amount of risotto will not throw off your weight loss efforts but large amounts of risotto will easily put you over your calorie count for the day.
Is Risotto A Heavy Carb?
Yes risotto is a heavy carb. Risotto has 17 grams of garbs and 16 grams of net carbohydrates.
Is Arborio Rice Hard to Digest?
Arborio rice is not hard to digest because it is gluten free. If you suffer from IBS-C or a slow transit time then rice will constipate you and could cause bloating. People with healthy digestion find it easy to digest rice.
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