Risotto alla Milanese

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

One of the simplest, yet most luxurious rice dishes, this creamy risotto gets its vivid color and flavor from saffron. According to legend, the dish was first created sometime in the 16th century, during the construction of Duomo. Apparently, it was invented by either the master glazier of Milan's cathedral, a Flemish painter named Valerio Diependale, or his apprentice, nicknamed Zafferano (lit. saffron), who regularly used this expensive spice to stain the glass windows yellow. However, the first recipe under the name risotto alla Milanese was found in Giovanni Felice Luraschi's 1829 cookbook Nuovo Cuoco Milanese Economico , and over time, this saffron-flavored classic became a traditional accompaniment to ossobuco, another signature dish of Milan.