Making risotto is known to cause fear at the mere mention of it. Too often, I hear comments like, “I attempted risotto once… it turned into glue!” or, “It took forever, my arm was sore from all the stirring and it resembled boiled jellyfish.”

Then there are those who spend a pretty penny on extravagant kitchen contraptions that claim to do all the hard work for you. “Oh, this is amazing,” they chime. “Finally, I can make risotto. And it only cost me $2000!”

But you don’t have to put up with gloopy goo or spend large sums of money for your own bowl of comfort food. Here are my tips to turn you into an expert:

1. The actual cooking time of the rice for a perfect al dente grain with a creamy texture is 17–20 minutes. During that time, only stir occasionally and gently. And start tasting after 15 minutes.

2. Carnaroli and arborio are the more common varieties of risotto rice. For a fail-proof attempt, seek out vialone nano in a specialty store. The grain is shorter and rounder, and it will gift your dish with beautiful creaminess with little effort.

3. Keep the flavours simple. Combinations such as lemon, mint and broad beans, or sage and pumpkin, or leek and zucchini all prove that less is more.

4. Your risotto will only be as good as your stock, and homemade always trumps store-bought. If that’s too hard, just steer clear of powders or cubes.

5. Once the rice has cooked to al dente, add a generous handful of parmesan or pecorino cheese and butter, and stir to release the starch, then allow the rice to rest off the heat, covered with a lid for a few minutes. This process, called mantecatura, will give your risotto that coveted all’onda (wave-like) texture.

Make Silvia Colloca’s leek and zucchini fail-proof risotto.