Risotto ai Quattro
Formaggi
Risotto with four melting cheeses
Risotto rice is finished off the heat with four cheeses, combining sharp, mild and blue flavors in a rich, loose sauce.
Four-cheese risotto with parsley; the recipe leaves off the garnishFour cheeses, one risotto,
finished away from the heat.
Risotto ai quattro formaggi brings four cheeses into a risotto cooked gradually with hot stock. Aged cheese adds a sharp edge, while softer cheeses melt into the rice. The precise selection varies; the name describes the combination rather than a fixed list.
Four-cheese risotto brings together northern Italian rice cooking and a choice of cheeses from different places. The home recipe uses Parmigiano-Reggiano, Taleggio, Gorgonzola and Gruyère, with light vegetable stock and no cream. The cheeses go in after the pan leaves the heat. It is a rich first course, served while the rice still spreads softly across a warm plate.
Explore by food: Rice & grains · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make risotto ai quattro formaggi.
Four rich first-course portions. The four cheeses are specified here for a repeatable version; use their weights after trimming away rinds.
Four rich first courses from 320 g rice and 300 g total cheese.
What you’ll need
- 320 gCarnaroli rice
- 100 gonion, finely chopped
- 40 gunsalted butter, divided
- 15 mlwater, for the onion
- 100 mldry white wine
- 1.2 lprepared low-salt vegetable stock
- 75 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 75 gTaleggio, rind removed and finely diced
- 75 gGorgonzola dolce, rind removed and crumbled
- 75 gGruyère, rind removed and finely grated
- to tastefine salt
Stock heating runs alongside the onion stage within the cooking allowance. The 300 g cheese total makes a particularly rich risotto. Cheese and stock salinity vary, so taste at the end before adding salt.
How to make it
- 01
Prepare the cheeses and stock
Cut or grate the cheeses as listed so they melt quickly. Bring stock to a bare simmer and keep it hot. Warm four serving plates.
- 02
Soften onion and toast rice
Melt 25 g butter in a wide heavy pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and 15 ml water and cook for 7–8 minutes until soft without browning. Add rice, raise heat to medium and stir for 2 minutes.
- 03
Add wine and stock
Pour in wine and let it mostly evaporate, about 1 minute. Add a ladle of hot stock and stir often, adding more when the last addition is mostly absorbed. Continue for about 18–20 minutes, until rice is tender with a slight bite. Keep some stock for finishing.
- 04
Melt the four cheeses
Take the pan off heat. Add all four cheeses, the remaining 15 g butter and about 60 ml hot stock. Stir for 1–2 minutes until melted and evenly combined. Rest for 2 minutes.
- 05
Loosen and serve
Taste before adding salt. Add a little more hot stock if needed so the risotto spreads gently when spooned onto the warm plates. Serve immediately; you may not need all the stock.
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