We tried this ready-in-minutes risotto -- and now we’re absolutely hooked

Nov 7 2022, 6:30 pm

When I want a comforting meal, the core tenants I always keep in mind involve the three Cs: creamy, cheesy, and carb-y. And arguably, there’s no better dish that exemplifies this than the Italian rice dish, risotto.

While it’s actually a relatively simple process to make, risotto is a dish that tests patience. Part of the cooking process involves adding chicken stock one ladle at a time to reach the desired, creamy consistency. If you add too much, you get a mushy soup, too little and you’re eating dried rice.

That’s why I was excited when PORTA, Ontario’s first Italian meal delivery service, reached out to have us try their newly launched risotto. With chefs who make their menus from scratch, and then flash-freeze the meals to lock in the flavours, I was intrigued to try what they had to offer.

So, with an empty stomach and open mind, PORTA sent me their three brand-new risottos and I made them for myself.

Unboxing my order

As someone who’s watched too many cooking videos in my spare time over lockdown, I feel comfortable enough in the kitchen to throw together most things. I also live in an apartment building with a broken buzzer and a building supervisor whose supervision style is more “from afar.” So I’ve never really seen the need to pay for a meal delivery service.

If you want to build a delivery box for yourself, there are options to pack six, nine, or 15 items — choosing from their nine pizzas, eight pastas, four pastries, four desserts, and now, three unique risottos. Deliveries can be scheduled weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and are flexible enough that you can pause, skip, or stop orders at any time.

After giving PORTA my delivery details, they were good about updating me with my estimated times over email and text. I was able to be home to receive my order too, so the drop-off was a breeze.

PORTA delivery boxes come insulated in an aluminum-coated foam to keep everything cold, as their products should stay frozen until the time of use. There’s also a little pizza box filled with dried ice to help keep things extra cold. 

First impressions

PORTA was kind enough to send me all three of their brand-new risotto flavours: Mantova, Butternut Squash Risotto; Milano, Saffron Risotto; and Bassano, Mushroom Risotto. They also threw in some extras from their catalogue, which included their dessert four-pack.

Reading over the ingredients, all the risotto comes with Acquerello carnaroli rice, a traditional medium-grain rice commonly used by top chefs worldwide. This rice is what allows you to create the perfect risotto with more flavour, less stirring, and a shorter cook time.

They’re also all flavoured with vegetable stock, which is good if you’re trying to cut down on your meat consumption.

The label also said that each pint-sized container serves two people, which had me a tad worried. As someone who could be classified by a box of mac and cheese as a “family of four,” I’m always weary of labels telling me how many servings are in their containers. That’s for me to decide in the privacy of my own home. 

But as you’ll find out later in the article, the label was not misleading at all — we even had leftovers.

The cooking process

I settled on the Mantova to try first. It was a brisk, fall day, and nothing’s better during that kind of weather than some butternut squash.

After bringing the 900 ml of water to a boil, I dropped in the contents of the package with a little salt in the pot — removing the packet of Parmesan cheese (as per the instructions, I was to add this at the end). 

To do risotto properly, as I’ve gone over, it’s a time-consuming process. While there are a few things you can use to speed things along — like a pressure cooker or rice cooker — they’re not necessarily Nonna-approved. But, after my 12-minute timer went off, I saw just how much the risotto started coming together, and my earlier fear of the container not feeding two people was put to rest.

As a finishing step, I folded in a couple of tablespoons of butter — the packaging says two, but when it comes to butter, I follow my heart — along with the packet of Parmesan cheese and left it covered for two minutes.

Because of how easy it was to make the first batch, I saved the Milano and Bassano as quick lunch options during the work week — a little gift for future me. 

The eating experience

In terms of flavour, all three risottos packed that savoury umami taste you come to expect. The butternut squash was the perfect autumnal meal, while the mushroom provided some delectable savoury flavours.

I had never really had saffron before, because who can afford it in this economy? As a first experience, I can say it gave a subtle umami boost that really complemented the vegetable stock. 

Look, I know I keep saying umami like it’s a normal thing to repeat, but I’m hoping if I say it enough times I might hope to pass myself off as a culinary savant and get assigned more food stories. 

All three risottos came out creamy and well-emulsified. I did leave mine past the two-minute rest time, so the risotto had time to settle and come out a little thicker. While this isn’t the prettiest-looking food, the flavours are well worth it — truly the perfect creamy, cheesy, comforting dish.

I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. These little containers of risotto really were life savers during busy work days and provided plenty of leftovers to enjoy later. They were delicious, comforting, and definitely a better alternative to ordering in.

The other items in my delivery included a pizza, some pasta, and those desserts I will continue to speak so fondly of (please send more, I beg).

Overall, PORTA really does deliver on the promise of “restaurant-quality meals, ready in minutes,” and I’m currently clearing more freezer space as I await my next order. 

To try these risottos for yourself, you can order them on PORTA’s website for $7.50 per serving, along with pasta, pizzas, and desserts. Daily Hive readers can also get 30% off their first order with code DAILYHIVE30.

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Chris MiddletonChris Middleton

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