Make the most of spring’s best flavour with this vibrant wild garlic risotto. It’s luxuriously green, wonderfully creamy and ready in about 30 minutes. A quick, crunchy panko topping lifts the texture and makes it perfect for a simple weeknight supper or a relaxed dinner with friends.
Wild garlic (also called ramps) only appears for a short season each year, so when it arrives I use it as often as possible. The leaves are fresh and garlicky with a bright, springlike character that risotto showcases beautifully. To preserve the vivid green colour and fresh flavour, we briefly blanch the leaves and blitz them into a puree, adding that at the very end so the risotto stays bright and aromatic.
Ingredients
Most items are pantry staples; the only seasonal star is the wild garlic.
- Wild garlic (ramps) – the delicate, garlicky leaves that define this dish. If foraging, be certain of identification. If you can’t source wild garlic, substitute spinach or cavolo nero and add an extra clove of garlic.
- Arborio or carnaroli rice – short-grain risotto rice with the right starch content to produce a creamy texture.
- Stock – chicken or vegetable, kept hot while you cook the risotto.
- Panko breadcrumbs – toasted with garlic for a light, crunchy pangrattato. Regular breadcrumbs work if preferred.
Optional: a splash of fish sauce stirred in at the end adds savoury depth without tasting fishy.
How to make it
Start by making the crispy panko topping: gently fry garlic in olive oil, add panko and toast until golden, then set aside. For the wild garlic puree, blanch the leaves for 2 minutes, chill in ice water, then blend with two garlic cloves and some of the blanching liquid until very smooth. Add more liquid if needed to get the blender moving.
Sweat the onion in butter until soft, add crushed garlic and the rice, then deglaze with white wine. Add hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed before adding more.
Pro tip: a large, high-sided skillet shortens cooking time; a 12″ skillet works well.
When the rice is al dente, fold in the wild garlic puree, a knob of butter and the optional fish sauce. Stir through grated parmesan and let it rest for a minute so the cheese melts into the rice. Serve immediately with the toasted panko scattered on top for contrast.
Risotto is best fresh; to prepare ahead, cook it partway and chill (details in the FAQs below).
Instant Pot method
If you prefer not to stir constantly, an electric pressure cooker simplifies this dish.
- Sauté the onion, garlic and rice on Sauté mode until you would normally begin adding stock.
- Because pressure cookers retain liquid, use 1 3/4 cups stock instead of 3 cups. Add all the stock, seal, and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
- Quick-release the pressure, then stir in the wild garlic puree, butter and parmesan. If it seems loose, use Sauté mode for a couple of minutes to reduce and thicken.
Got a question?
Cook the risotto partway by using half the stock, then spread it on a shallow tray to cool quickly and refrigerate, lightly covered. When ready to serve, return the rice to a pot, finish with the remaining stock and continue until al dente — this only takes a few minutes.
Leftover risotto is ideal for making arancini (crispy fried risotto balls). Stuff with mozzarella or your favourite filling, then coat and fry for a delicious second meal.
A good rule is 1 part rice to 3 parts stock (3:1). Scale the quantities up or down using that ratio.
Wild garlic is versatile—use it to make butter, pesto, cheesy breads, or fold it into mac and cheese for a bright, garlicky twist.
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If you try this recipe, leave a comment — I’d love to hear how it turned out.
30 Minute Wild Garlic Risotto
5 from 1 review
- Author: Kate Alexandra
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Bright, garlicky wild garlic is folded into a creamy risotto and finished with a crunchy toasted panko topping — a simple, seasonal dish ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild garlic leaves
- 5 garlic cloves (3 crushed, 2 whole)
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (for the pangrattato)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup arborio rice (or carnaroli)
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 3 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Make the wild garlic puree. Boil a large pot of water, blanch wild garlic for 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water. Blend the leaves with 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup of the blanching water until very smooth, adding more liquid if needed.
- Make the pangrattato. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 crushed garlic clove in a small pan. Add 1/3 cup panko and toast, stirring, for about 4 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics and rice. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large, high-sided skillet. Cook the diced onion with 1 teaspoon salt for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves for 1 minute, then stir in the rice. Pour in 1/3 cup white wine and let it bubble for a minute.
- Add stock gradually. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until absorbed. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is just al dente.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the wild garlic puree, remaining butter and optional fish sauce. Scatter over 1/2 cup grated parmesan, let it sit briefly, then stir through. Plate and top with the toasted panko.
Notes
Make ahead: Cook the risotto halfway using half the stock, spread on a shallow tray to cool, cover and refrigerate. To finish, return to the pot and add the remaining stock — it will take about five minutes.
Instant Pot: Follow the recipe to the point of adding stock, then use sauté mode. Add 1 3/4 cups stock, seal and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes. Quick-release, then stir in the puree, butter and parmesan; it will thicken as you combine.
Ingredient swaps: No wild garlic? Use spinach or cavolo nero with extra garlic. Pangrattato is optional but adds a lovely crunchy contrast. For extra umami, an anchovy melted into the oil before adding panko is delicious.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: pasta
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Sodium: 2527mg
- Fat: 12.1g
- Saturated Fat: 7.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 47.9g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12.7g
- Cholesterol: 29.7mg