Radicchio Risotto with Toasted Pine Nuts and Balsamic Vinegar

Risotto is a dish that is prime for experimentation, creation, individualization. Risotto? you say. How am I supposed to come up with my own risotto?! I must slavishly follow a recipe every time I make it, for risotto is a Complicated, Impressive Dish.

Not true. Not one little bit true. Risotto is impressive, yes, but it is definitely not complicated. And once you understand the basic formula for risotto, you can make whatever kind your little heart desires (peanut butter risotto not recommended). I have suspected as much for a long time, but I never tested my theory until I decided to make radicchio risotto and wasn’t sure I’d be able to find a recipe. I did, in fact, find one, but not before thinking the whole thing through in my head and realizing that I could do without if I had to. And now you can, too!

I think all risottos are really great, and this one is no exception. Kevin posted a few weeks ago about a brilliantly red beet pasta; this risotto is also red, but it gets its color from wine, not beet juice, so it is ever-so-slightly less healthy. I think it gets a nice rosy color in the end; the bitterness of the radicchio really mellows during cooking but remains enough to set off the creaminess of the risotto; the pine nuts add crunch. All these things are great, but it’s the splash of balsamic vinegar at the end (now here was an idea of mine to end all ideas) is really the winning touch. You have to add the balsamic vinegar. It’s just not worth making otherwise. The balsamic is everything here — a touch of sweet, a touch of tart, a lot of added complexity.

So, without further ado:

Here are the basic steps for risotto:

1. Saute something from the onion family (yellow onion, red onion, shallots) in some kind of fat (olive oil or butter, usually). Let’s say you want one onion, chopped. You could also use garlic or leeks, but they’d probably be too strong or too weak (respectively) to use completely on their own. But you could in a pinch. Cook until tender, just a few minutes.

2. Add some vegetables, maybe, here, if they’re crunchy (like radicchio, or numerous others), or if you want them to flavor the risotto (like mushrooms). You could also saute them and any meat separately and stir it in at the last minute.

3. Add one cup Arborio rice to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute. This is called toasting the rice.

4. Add one cup of wine. Typically, you use white wine. This recipe uses red. Again, very loose. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, probably a few minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat about 5 cups of chicken stock in a pan. Keep simmering on the back burner.

6. Once wine is absorbed, add 1 cup of hot broth to rice. Stir occasionally until liquid is absorbed. Add another cup of broth. Repeat until rice is tender. This may mean using slightly less or slightly more liquid (you can use hot water if you run out of broth).

7. Once rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed, add about 1/4 stick of butter and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. This is the best part of making risotto, when the magic happens and everything comes together in creamy goodness. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

And here is how to make this into Radicchio Risotto:

(Very loosely adapted from Bon Appetit)

At Step 2: Add one head of radicchio, which has been halved and thinly sliced. Saute for a few minutes, until beginning to wilt (it will wilt completely as the rice cooks).

At Step 4: Add one cup of red wine.

Step 8: Toast a handful of pine nuts. Sprinkle on top of each serving.

Step 9: Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over. Say a teaspoon.