Do you have guests for dinner and are looking for something delicious yet simple to impress them? Then I suggest trying this pink risotto with Gorgonzola. It is an extremely easy first course to prepare, but definitely impressive due to the particular color that characterizes it, obtained with beetroot. Don’t worry, the flavor is not altered by this vegetable. I want to emphasize this because many people (including myself) do not enjoy the “earthy” taste of beetroot. Well… you won’t taste it here; it only colors. I also used it to make fantastic pink gnocchi that were a huge success.
Other ideas for colorful risottos:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Pink Risotto
The amount of red beetroot depends on how intense you want the color of your risotto to be. I recommend blending 1 to 1.5 oz for two people.
- 1 cup Carnaroli rice
- beetroot (red, boiled)
- 1 shallot (large)
- 0.25 cup milk
- vegetable broth
- dry white wine
- 3.5 oz Gorgonzola cheese
- 1.5 tbsp butter (for creaming)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- Immersion Blender
- 1 Pan
- 1 Small Bowl
Preparation of Pink Risotto
Place a few pieces of red beetroot (already boiled) in the cup of an immersion blender along with a couple of tablespoons of milk taken from the total and blend thoroughly until you get a smooth puree. Set aside.
In a large pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the finely chopped shallot. Let it sizzle for a moment, then add the rice and toast it for a minute.
Deglaze with white wine and when it has evaporated, start adding the boiling broth one ladleful at a time as the previous one is absorbed. Stir the rice occasionally.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the cheese cream by melting the sweet Gorgonzola with the remaining milk (about 1.75 oz). You can do this in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat.
Shortly before the end of cooking, add the beetroot puree to the rice (I recommend adding it little by little, stirring, and checking the color of the risotto. It does not affect the flavor at all, so when you reach the color you like, don’t add more). Finally, cream the risotto with a knob of butter.
Serve the pink risotto on individual plates and drizzle the Gorgonzola cream over it. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately, piping hot. Enjoy! Paola
