No Such Thing as Leftover Risotto

Italian cooking great Lidia Bastianich recently confirmed something that was impressed upon me during a cooking class long ago: There's no such thing as leftover risotto.

The Italian comfort food staple of arborio rice and, for Bastianich, grated Grana Padano, is best experienced warm, right from the pot, redolent of cheese and at the peak of its starchy creaminess. 

Re-heating the dish, she told me, makes the risotto mushy. She recommends frying leftover risotto into rice cakes. 

According to Lidia, "The secret with leftovers is always to create a new dish, not a reheated one."  

Below, check out my 60-Second Stir-Fry video with Lidia.