A Risotto Primer

Risotto takes rice out of the side-dish category and makes it a course of its own. You'll spend 20 minutes standing over the stove, it's true, but stirring a pot of risotto isn't exactly onerous, and you can drink a glass of wine and visit with the friends you've invited over for dinner. (They'll have gravitated to the kitchen anyway.) Italian-cooking authority Faith Heller Willinger uses broccoli and almonds to great effect in the Risotto with Almonds and Broccoli recipe, but there are any number of variations — let the contents of your refrigerator be your guide — that will leave the people sitting around your table feeling blissful.