Risotto with Smoked Cheese, Gorgonzola, and Pears with pomegranate seeds, delicious, enveloping, and very elegant. Perfect for a Sunday lunch or an important occasion, like Christmas or New Year.
A refined and simple dish that will win over your guests’ palates.
The preparation is very simple: I sautéed the onion in the pan with butter and a little oil, then added the rice, toasted it, deglazed with white wine, and then cooked it by adding broth, one ladle at a time.
Almost at the end of cooking, I added the cheese (smoked cheese, gorgonzola cubes, and grated Parmesan) and a knob of butter. I added the pear cubes and, finally, finished with pomegranate seeds. Exquisite!
The sweetness of the pears blends well with the slightly tangy but barely noticeable taste of the pomegranate, an autumn fruit perfect for accompanying desserts but also ideal for savory preparations like risottos.
It’s usually consumed as table fruit, in fruit salads, or used as a decorative element in pastry. It can enrich first courses, salads, and accompany meats, fish, cold cuts, and cheeses.
I find that the pomegranate gives a Christmas atmosphere and a refined touch to this dish. I loved it.
But now, let’s see together how to make the Risotto with Smoked Cheese, Gorgonzola, and Pears. Prepare the ingredients, let’s start.
And if you try it, don’t forget to let me know in the comments on my Facebook page HERE. I’ll be waiting for you.
Gabriella
Other tasty first courses to try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz Carnaroli rice (I use semi-whole)
- 4 tbsp butter (+ 4 tbsp for creaming)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 onion
- 2.8 oz white wine
- 3.2 cups vegetable broth
- 1.1 oz smoked cheese (or mild)
- 1.1 oz gorgonzola
- 0.7 oz grated Parmesan
- 1/2 pear (to taste)
- as needed pomegranate
Tools
To prepare the Risotto with Smoked Cheese, Gorgonzola, and Pears you need:
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Chopper
- 1 Wooden Spoon
Steps
HOW TO PREPARE RISOTTO WITH SMOKED CHEESE, GORGONZOLA, AND PEARS
First, place a saucepan on the heat with 20 g of butter, the extra virgin olive oil, add the onion chopped and let it soften for a few minutes over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the onion has softened, add the rice and toast it, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate. Once the wine has dried, continue cooking, adding the hot broth a little at a time and stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the broth only when the previous one has been absorbed.
Continue cooking: it will take about 20 minutes in total.
Meanwhile, cut the crown off the pomegranate and make 4 cuts on the sides; use your fingers to gently press and open it.
Also, cut the pear into cubes and keep them in the refrigerator, closed in a container.
A little before the end of cooking, add the cheese (smoked cheese and gorgonzola cut into cubes) and the grated Parmesan. Mix gently; adjust the salt if necessary. Remove the risotto from the heat, add the butter and cream; then add the pear cubes.
Serve the risotto hot and creamy. Finish with some pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
Until the next recipe.
Storage
I recommend consuming the Risotto with Smoked Cheese, Gorgonzola, and Pears immediately. If there are leftovers, store them in the fridge and reheat them, although it will lose its creaminess and texture. But I’m sure there won’t be any leftovers!
Tips and Suggestions
– Cheese. You can replace smoked cheese with cubes of fontina or other cheese like Emmental: the important thing is that it melts well.
Pomegranate
A touch of red that immediately suggests Christmas.
CURIOUSITY: A fruit of a small shrub tree, it was already known in antiquity for its beneficial properties. Pomegranate, in fact, low in calories and rich in water, is useful for good intestinal function, but not only. It is also suitable for strengthening the immune system and improving the cardiovascular system.
Always considered a fruit with magical powers, this explains why it cannot be missing from the festive table, as a wish for luck and prosperity. A bit like lentils.
CHARACTERISTICS: rounded in shape, with a leathery, bright red skin, it holds a small raised crown in the mature fruit.
The seeds, called arils, are enclosed inside, each wrapped in juicy, glossy, bright red pulp.
SHOPPING TIPS: choose a heavy fruit, with a red color, and if you tap it, it should emit a metallic sound. Intact, it keeps for a long time in a cool, dry place.
SHOPPING TIPS: choose a heavy fruit, with a red color, and if you tap it, it should emit a metallic sound. Intact, it keeps for a long time in a cool, dry place.
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