Vialone nano rice substitutes
Vialone nano rice substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Carnaroli rice
Same amount by volume as the vialone nano rice
The other classic Italian risotto rice, longer grained and higher in amylose.
Carnaroli is the closest substitute for vialone nano and swaps 1:1, though it holds its shape more firmly so the risotto sets up thicker and less soupy. Arborio is the easy supermarket answer, also 1:1, and gives a creamier but stodgier result that needs a little extra stock at the end to loosen. Bomba, the Spanish paella rice, works if you want the grains distinctly separate. The job vialone nano is doing is supplying starch, which is what makes risotto creamy without cream, so what you cannot do is swap in long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine. Those have the wrong starch entirely and produce a watery pilaf.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- risotto
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of vialone nano rice | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnaroli ricerisotto | Same amount by volumeWorks | Works |
| 2 | Arborio ricerisotto | Same amount by volumeTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Bomba or Calasparra ricerisotto where separate grains are wanted | Same amount by volumeWith about 10 percent more liquidTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Sushi rice or Japanese short-grain riceimprovised risotto | Same amount by volumeWith slightly less liquidYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Pearled farro or pearl barleyfarrotto | Same amount by volumeWith more liquid and longer cookingYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Long-grain rice, and why it failspilaf | Not recommendedYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Carnaroli rice
similar taste and texture
The other classic Italian risotto rice, longer grained and higher in amylose.
- Best for
- risotto, risi e bisi, risotto al salto, beginner risotto
The best substitute and more forgiving than vialone nano, because the grains stay al dente for several minutes longer and are much harder to overcook. It takes about 18 minutes against vialone nano's 15, and the finished risotto is thicker and more structured. If your recipe wanted the loose Venetian all'onda style, where the risotto ripples on a tilted plate, add an extra ladle of hot stock off the heat and beat it in vigorously.
Arborio rice
similar taste, different texture
The most widely stocked risotto rice, plump and very starchy.
- Best for
- risotto, rice pudding, arancini, everyday cooking
Available in every supermarket, which is often the deciding factor. Arborio releases starch enthusiastically so the risotto is creamy fast, but the grains soften from the outside in and go chalky-centred then blown-out if you push them, giving a slightly gluier, heavier result than vialone nano's light, loose one. Start tasting at 15 minutes and add stock in smaller amounts near the end.
Bomba or Calasparra rice
similar taste, different texture
Spanish short-grain paella rice that absorbs a lot of stock without breaking.
- Best for
- risotto where separate grains are wanted, paella-style rice dishes, baked rice
It drinks up an unusual amount of liquid and keeps its shape almost stubbornly, so the flavour is excellent but the result is much less creamy. You end up with a well-flavoured, slightly loose rice dish rather than the silky ripple of a Venetian risotto. Beat in an extra knob of cold butter and a good handful of grated parmesan at the end to compensate.
Sushi rice or Japanese short-grain rice
different taste and texture
Sticky japonica short-grain rice, unrinsed for this purpose.
- Best for
- improvised risotto, rice pudding, when no Italian rice is in the house
A real fallback that works better than most people expect, since short-grain japonica has plenty of the amylopectin starch that makes risotto creamy. Crucially, do not rinse it, because rinsing removes the starch you need. It cooks faster, in around 12 to 14 minutes, and the finished dish is stickier and softer, closer to a savoury porridge than a risotto, but it is genuinely creamy and tastes good.
Pearled farro or pearl barley
different taste and texture
Starchy grains that make farrotto or orzotto instead of risotto.
- Best for
- farrotto, orzotto, whole-grain risotto-style dishes, hearty winter versions
Not a rice at all, and honest about it. Both release enough starch to go creamy using the same ladle-by-ladle method, but they need 25 to 35 minutes and noticeably more stock, and the grains stay chewy rather than becoming tender. The result is nuttier, earthier and chunkier, an excellent dish in its own right rather than an imitation of a Venetian one.
Long-grain rice, and why it fails
different taste and texture
Basmati, jasmine and standard long-grain rice, the swap to avoid.
- Best for
- pilaf, steamed rice, not risotto
Included so you do not waste an evening. Long-grain rice is high in amylose and low in the surface starch that makes risotto creamy, and it is bred to cook into separate dry grains. Cooked risotto-style it gives you sticky-outside, hard-inside grains sitting in thin stock, with none of the emulsion that defines the dish. If long-grain rice is all you have, make a pilaf or a rice soup on purpose instead.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave the vialone nano out or use whatever rice I have?
You cannot leave out the rice, since it is the dish, but you can absolutely use another rice as long as it is short or medium-grain and starchy. Carnaroli and arborio are direct swaps. Unrinsed sushi rice or plain short-grain white rice will make a creamy if softer risotto. What will not work is basmati, jasmine, long-grain or parboiled rice, because none of them release the starch that creates the creaminess.
Which is better for risotto, vialone nano or carnaroli?
They make different risottos rather than better and worse ones. Vialone nano absorbs stock quickly, sheds starch fast and cooks in about 15 minutes, giving a loose, light, soupy risotto that suits vegetables and seafood, which is why the Veneto favours it. Carnaroli holds its shape longer and produces a firmer, more structured risotto with distinct al dente grains, and it is far more forgiving if you get distracted. For a first risotto, carnaroli is easier.
Do I rinse vialone nano or its substitutes before cooking?
No, never, for risotto. That dusty surface starch is exactly what thickens the stock into the creamy emulsion. Rinsing it away leaves you with well-flavoured but thin, separate grains. This is worth saying loudly if you are used to cooking Japanese or Indian rice, where rinsing is essential and the goal is the opposite.
Can I use vialone nano or its substitutes for rice pudding, paella or sushi?
Rice pudding, yes, and arborio and vialone nano are both excellent in it because the starch thickens the milk. Paella, not really, since paella wants grains that stay separate and absorb without going creamy, so bomba or calasparra is the right choice there. Sushi, no, because Italian risotto rice does not have the specific clinging stickiness that lets sushi rice hold a shape.
How much rice per person for risotto, whichever variety I use?
Around 70 to 80g dry rice per person as a main course, or 50 to 60g as a starter, with roughly three to four times that volume in hot stock. These amounts hold for vialone nano, carnaroli and arborio alike. Bomba wants a little more liquid, and farro or barley versions want noticeably more and longer on the heat.
Tips for substituting vialone nano rice
6 tips- The reason risotto rice matters is starch, and that is the job you are substituting for. Vialone nano is unusually good at shedding surface starch quickly into the stock, where it thickens into a glossy emulsion with the butter and cheese. That emulsion is the creaminess of risotto, not cream. Any substitute has to be a short or medium-grain, high-starch rice, and it must never be rinsed before cooking.
- Vialone nano cooks fast, usually 13 to 15 minutes, and it is the least forgiving of the risotto rices. If you swap in carnaroli or arborio, add three to five minutes and taste from the fifteen-minute mark; if you swap the other way, start tasting sooner than you think you need to.
- Vialone nano makes the classic loose Venetian risotto all'onda, meaning wavy, where the risotto slumps and ripples on the plate. Carnaroli and arborio both set up firmer, so finish with an extra ladle of hot stock off the heat and beat hard with cold butter, a step Italians call the mantecatura, to get the same texture.
- For risi e bisi, the Venetian rice and pea soup that vialone nano is traditionally used for, remember the dish is meant to be soupy enough to eat with a spoon. If you substitute a firmer rice, loosen the finished pot with extra stock rather than serving it thick, or you have made a risotto by accident.
- Keep the stock at a simmer in a separate pan and add it hot, one ladle at a time. Cold stock stalls the cooking and the grains cook unevenly, which is a bigger problem with substitute rices than with vialone nano because they take longer overall.
- Do not swap in parboiled or easy-cook rice for any risotto rice, whatever the grain length. The parboiling has already set the starch, so it will never go creamy no matter how long you stir.