Instant Pot Risotto Bolognese

Making risotto in a pressure cooker is so much faster and easier than on the stovetop!

There’s no need to stir constantly, and the rice comes out perfectly tender and creamy every time. 

I used to make risotto bolognese on the stovetop with my recipe from Barbara Bakes. But since converting it to a convenient pressure cooker recipe, I no longer cook it any other way!

Update: I’ve updated this recipe with new tips, tricks, and photos for perfectly creamy bolognese risotto in the pressure cooker. Enjoy!

How to Make Instant Pot Risotto Bolognese

This Risotto Bolognese recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL. 

I’ve made a few other improvements to this recipe to adapt it for an Instant Pot. First, I added savory pork sausage. (You can use chicken sausage if you prefer.)

You’ll sear the sausage in the pressure cooking pot as a first step to build flavor in the risotto. 

Also, instead of pureeing the vegetables as I do for my stovetop risotto, I left them whole in this recipe. The sautéed carrot, onion, and celery add color, texture, and flavor to the final dish. 

What Is Risotto?

Risotto is a classic Northern Italian rice dish made with long-cooked rice and melted cheese for a creamy, almost pudding-like texture. 

At its most basic, risotto is a creamy, cheesy base for a variety of meats and sauces.

However, it’s easy and fun to elevate risotto to an entire main dish on its own, as we did here. From meats and vegetables to nuts and dried fruit, you can add texture and flavor to risotto to round out the dish.  

What Kind of Rice Is Best for Risotto?

I recommend using Arborio rice for this recipe. It’s the classic Italian grain for creamy risotto that doesn’t turn to mush. 

If you can’t find arborio, any Italian rice works well. In a pinch, you can use sushi rice. 

More Creamy Risotto Recipes

If you have extra Arborio on hand, try these other easy Instant Pot risotto recipes:

• Instant Pot Rice Pudding because not all creamy rice has to be savory! This sweet cinnamon-spiced dessert is always a crowd-pleaser. 
• Saffron Risotto is a classic bright yellow Italian dish that’s elegant but so easy to make. 
• Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Risotto has a lemony flavor and creamy texture thanks to melted parmesan cheese and bright green peas for color.   
• Pina Colada Rice Pudding puts a fun tropical twist on Instant Pot rice pudding.