No one does risotto like the Venetians – and a few favourites are the classic risottos of Venice & Veneto.
Venetians combine their local vialone nano rice with whatever seasonal produce is at hand to create some of the best classic risottos in Italy. Two things set the traditional risottos of Veneto apart from those made in other regions: the rice and the consistency. Vialone nano rice – grown in the fertile lowlands of Verona province – has its own appellation: Riso Nano Vialone Veronese PGI. Its grains are smaller, plumper and rounder than those of the carnaroli rice more commonly used in the rest of Italy. The other key attribute of vialone nano is its ability to absorb liquid without splitting. It absorbs about 25% more liquid than carnaroli, making it the ideal rice for the soupier all’onda (wave-like) Venetian risottos. Here are the most classic risottos of Venice and the Veneto and where to eat them.
Risotto di Gò
Risotto di gò – also called Risotto alla Buranella – is a specialty of the island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon. Fishermen traditionally boiled tiny sand goby (gò in dialect), by-catch too small and bony to sell, to make a delicate briny stock with lagoon water. The fish are discarded once they’ve imparted their flavour and the stock is used to cook rice. The best risotto di gò I’ve had is at Trattoria al Gatto Nero on Burano.
Risotto al Tastasal
Tastasal literally means ‘taste the salt’ in Venetian dialect, and this risotto was traditionally made to test the seasoning of the pork mixture for salami. Risotto tastasal is a specialty of the Verona plains, and I’ve never seen it anywhere else. I first tasted it at Massimago wine estate and that dish remains one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. The seasoning varies by family, though black pepper, garlic and rosemary always seem to be included.
Risi e Bisi
Risi e bisi (‘rice and peas’ in dialect) – traditionally made with the small, sweet peas of spring – was historically served to the Doge of Venice for the Feast of San Marco (25 April). Soupier than most traditional Venetian risottos – almost like a minestra (thick soup) – many Venetians insist it isn’t technically a risotto at all. I love the risi e bisi at Ca’ de Memi Agriturismo near Padua, where a pea purée is added to intensify the colour and flavour.
Risotto al Nero di Seppia
Risotto al nero di seppia – sometimes shortened to risotto di seppia (cuttlefish risotto) or risotto nero (black risotto) – is often called squid ink risotto in English, though seppia is actually Italian for cuttlefish and the source of the English word sepia. Despite the startling colour of Venetian cuttlefish risotto, the creamy, earthy, slightly briny flavour is surprisingly mild. It’s served on the first night of my Venetian food tour at Ristorante Wildner in Venice.
Risotto all’Amarone
Risotto all’Amarone is a classic Veronese dish made with the famed Amarone wine of Valpolicella and Monte Veronese cheese from Verona’s Lessinia Highlands. It’s proof of the mantra you should only cook with a wine you’re prepared to drink. At Trattoria La Torre, in the heart of Valpolicella, they top an elegant risotto all’Amarone with Amarone reduction – it’s very soupy, a little sour, and perfect alongside a glass of Amarone.
Risotto alla Trevigiana
Risotto alla Trevigiana, also called risotto alla Trevisana, is a classic Veneto risotto from Treviso, a province famous for radicchio. Radicchio tardive – which grows in tight, elongated bunches with thick white stems – is the classic choice, though I’ve made delicious radicchio risotto with the more common round Chioggia variety. As Treviso is also home to Prosecco, that’s the wine often used to make this signature Venetian risotto.
Risotto agli Asparagi Bianchi
The Veneto is Italy’s white asparagus capital, with several regional varieties awarded EU appellations. In springtime it’s on menus everywhere, and my favourite way to eat it is in risotto. At Enoteca Realda, Lisa Anselmi’s charming restaurant-wine bar in Soave, I had a superb risotto agli asparagi bianchi (pictured top) and another outstanding one at Al Pompiere in Verona topped with slices of pink pigeon breast.
Risotto ai Funghi Porcini
In autumn, wild porcini and other mushrooms foraged from the woodlands of the Montello and Asiago hills are a much anticipated seasonal specialty across Veneto, especially with polenta or in risotto. One of the best dishes I ate in 2024 was an intensely flavoured porcini risotto with chanterelles (called finferli in Italian) at Cantina Mediterraneo, a rustic restaurant in the small town of Badoere, which is also renowned for its white asparagus.
Published 19 Jul 2026
