Risotto al
Radicchio
Veneto radicchio risotto
Creamy rice carries radicchio’s gentle bitterness, softened with butter and cheese and finished with a little fresh radicchio for contrast.
Creamy rice with cooked & fresh radicchioA bitter leaf,
a creamy Veneto risotto.
Risotto al radicchio combines creamy rice with the slight bitterness of red chicory. It has a strong connection with Veneto, where radicchio from the Treviso area is a familiar ingredient. The leaves soften and lose their bright color as they cook into the rice.
Cheese choices vary, from grated hard cheese to richer versions with Gorgonzola. This home preparation uses a modest amount of Gorgonzola with Parmigiano, and reserves a few raw leaves for the contrast shown in the photo. Broth is added gradually, then butter and cheese are stirred in off the heat. Serve it loose enough to spread gently on the plate.
Explore by food: Rice & grains · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make risotto al radicchio.
Four first-course portions with prepared vegetable broth, Gorgonzola and Parmigiano. A small raw-radicchio finish matches the photographed serving.
Four first-course portions, using 320 g dry rice and prepared broth.
Heat the prepared broth while the onion softens. The total includes a two-minute rest after adding butter and cheese.
What you’ll need
- 320 gCarnaroli rice
- 300 gradicchio, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
- 100 gwhite onion, finely chopped
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 100 mldry white wine
- 1.3 llow-sodium vegetable broth
- 30 gunsalted butter
- 60 gGorgonzola, rind removed and diced
- 40 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
Prepared broth is the starting ingredient, with its heating included alongside the onion cooking. Rice varies in liquid uptake: keep the full measured broth hot, but use only what is needed for a loose finish. The raw garnish adds a sharper bitter note than the cooked leaves.
How to make it
- 01
Warm the broth
Heat the broth to a gentle simmer in a saucepan and keep it hot. Set aside 30 g of the sliced radicchio for serving.
- 02
Start the rice
Heat oil in a wide saucepan. Soften onion over medium-low heat for 8 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes, then add wine and let it almost evaporate.
- 03
Add broth gradually
Add enough hot broth to just cover the rice. Simmer gently, stirring often and adding another ladle as the liquid is absorbed. After about 10 minutes, stir in the remaining 270 g radicchio. Continue with broth until the rice is tender with a slight bite, usually 16–20 minutes from the first broth addition; use the packet and texture as guides.
- 04
Finish off the heat
Remove from heat and stir in butter, Gorgonzola and Parmigiano until melted. Loosen with a little remaining hot broth so the rice moves in a soft wave, then rest for 2 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, divide among warm plates and top with the reserved radicchio.
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