From the land of risotto comes yet another rich, full-flavored (but far simpler) rice preparation; butter is nearly essential here. With thanks to the great food writer John Thorne (see his Simple Cooking Web site, www.outlawcook.com), who first made me aware of the existence of this Lombardian dish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Salt and black pepper

　　1 cup Arborio or other short-grain rice

　　3 tablespoons butter

　　1/2 cup grated fontina or other good-quality semisoft cheese

　　Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it as you would to cook pasta. Add the rice in a steady stream and stir. When the water returns to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the rice until it is tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Drain.

　　

Step 2

Put the butter in a saucepan large enough to hold the rice and turn the heat to medium. When the butter melts and just begins to turn brown, add the rice and toss together. Stir in the fontina, then a handful of Parmesan, along with a bit of salt and some pepper. Serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.

　　

Rice with Cheese and Garlic

Step 3

In step 2, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the butter (or olive oil, which is fine in this variation) about 30 seconds before adding the rice.

　　

Lemon Rice

Step 4

In step 2, omit the cheeses; use the garlic as in the previous variation. Toss the rice with plenty of salt and pepper, then finish the dish with the juice of at least 1 lemon.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.