Rice

Even brown-rice skeptics will enjoy this textural dish full of butter-browned nuts.

Chinese Rice Porridge with Turkey and Ginger

You'll want something to sop up the sauce of the fricassee, and this chewy rice, classically Chinese but currently making its way across Paris, offers a gorgeous texture and color contrast.

The brown rice in this side dish is full of fiber. (Cooked white has none.)

This simple, delicious dish hails from China's Shanghai region. It's a great way to use up leftover rice—if your rice is already cooked, you'll need 3 cups of it.

These bite-size shrimp balls make for ideal finger food—plus, kids will love the name.

Favorite Mediterranean ingredients come together in this creamy risotto. Adding the liquid from the tomatoes to the chicken stock underscores the flavor of the fresh tomatoes added at the very end. This is delicious made with any ripe red or orange tomatoes.

Jasmine rice is native to Southeast Asia. When cooked, its long grains become soft, seductively aromatic, and nutty in flavor.

Stirring the fresh herbs into the hot rice preserves their flavor and releases their aroma.

Knowing that every Japanese cook would have strong opinions on the preparation of white rice, Ruggiero counted on her friend Ryuji Inoue, originally from Kyushu, Japan, for guidance. The result is fluffy and slightly stickier than Chinese rice. Even without a rice cooker, the rice comes out just perfect.

The trick of leaving the base attached to the quartered escarole is one we learned from Lidia Bastianich, and it makes the whole process far less fussy. Studded with plump raisins and crunchy pine nuts, the rice makes for a flavorful filling—perfect for the slightly bitter edge of the greens.

Almost a risotto and not quite a soup, risi e bisi was once reserved for occasions. Thanks to food processors, high-quality frozen peas, and our super-fast stir-it-once method, you needn't wait for a special day.

Cooking the artichokes with the rice infuses the risotto with the flavor of this delicate vegetable.

With golden cheese that yields to an abundance of roasted vegetables, this gratin is an ideal side dish, but it really doesn't need anything more than a green salad to make it a satisfying dinner.

In this soupy, risotto-like side dish or starter, pureed parsnips and blanched carrots, parsnips, and turnips are stirred into cooked basmati rice. The parsnip puree adds luxurious richness without any cream, butter, or cheese. Serve alongside pan-grilled steaks or pork chops.