The risotto with leeks, radicchio, and gorgonzola mascarpone is a delicious recipe with a flavor that is neither too strong nor heavy but balanced and refined. It’s an easy main course that we can offer to our guests for Sunday lunch or special occasions. The delicacy of the leek and the savoriness of the gorgonzola balance the bitter note of the radicchio, helping to create a risotto that is absolutely worth trying, flavorful, and different from the usual.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carnaroli rice
- 3.5 oz red radicchio
- 1 leek
- 1.75 oz gorgonzola with mascarpone
- to taste fine salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp dry white wine
- 1 carrot
- to taste leek leaves
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 l water
Preparation
1) To prepare our risotto with leeks, radicchio, and gorgonzola, start by making the broth. In a pot, heat water with carrot, celery, and some green leek leaves. Boil the broth for just 10 minutes.
2) For the sauté, wash and chop 3 leek leaves, both green and white (the innermost and tender ones).
3) When the broth is ready, prepare the risotto. In a pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil, and when it’s hot, add the chopped leek. Let it sauté over low heat until it releases its aroma and becomes tender (about 8-10 minutes), stirring often.
4) Increase the heat, add the rice, and let it toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly until it becomes translucent. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
5) Add 3/4 of the chopped radicchio and lightly salt, not too much (since we’ll finish with gorgonzola), and start adding one ladle of boiling broth at a time. Add more broth only when the previous one has almost completely absorbed, but do not let the risotto dry out too much. Stir often and don’t abandon the risotto.
6) As the rice cooks, we’ll gradually reduce the amount of broth to add. At the end of cooking (the rice should be al dente, not mushy), turn off the heat, remove the pan from the stove and add the gorgonzola in pieces. Stir to melt the cheese perfectly, add the remaining radicchio (which will give a crunchy note to our succulent risotto), cover, and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
To add an extra note of color, we can add to our risotto with leeks, radicchio, and gorgonzola, a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric powder dissolved in the last ladle of broth.
Bon appetit
