Radicchio risotto – original recipe from Italy

Risotto with radicchio is a typical dish from the region around Treviso, in the north of Italy. It is fairly easy to cook and brings color to the plate in autumn and winter. Radicchio risotto is perfect for a meal with friends or family.

Radicchio, with its wonderful crimson leaves and snow-white veins, scores highly with its delicate bitter notes. In risotto, the bitter taste of the radicchio is softened by the butter and Parmesan cheese. The texture is soft and particularly pleasant. The smoky aroma of the bacon goes perfectly with it.

Radicchio risotto with bacon potato chips

Persons: 4

Working time: 50 min

Difficulty level: medium

Ingredients

• 200 g radicchio
• 1x medium-sized onion
• 1x garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 100 ml red wine
• 250 g risotto rice, Carnaroli
• 1 L chicken stock
• 80 g bacon slices
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano, 36 mesi
• Salt and pepper

And it’s that simple

1. Wash the radicchio well and cut into strips. Sauté the finely diced onions and garlic in olive oil. Now add the radicchio and deglaze with red wine. Allow the red wine to reduce completely.
2. Add the risotto rice to the pan and fry the grains briefly. Gradually pour in the hot chicken stock so that the rice is just covered. The whole thing should simmer gently and the liquid should reduce, stirring constantly. Once the liquid has evaporated, add another ladleful of stock and repeat this process for a total of 20 minutes.
3. Place the bacon strips in a pan without oil and heat over a medium heat. The bacon slices need some time to release the fat and become crispy. Fry the bacon for 4 minutes on each side.
4. Finally, add cold butter and Parmigiano Reggiano to the risotto. Stir well again. Serve the risotto on a plate with the crispy bacon potato chips.

Our tip: We recommend Pietronello Rosso Toscana to deglaze the risotto and, of course, for a sip or two while cooking. If you are cooking for vegetarians, simply leave out the bacon. Or replace it with walnuts.

Radicchio risotto – step-by-step instructions in pictures