- About 5 cups homemade meat broth or good-quality purchased chicken broth
- 8 ounces red radicchio
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups vialone nano rice
- ½ cup Soave or other dry white wine
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Walnut halves for garnish (optional)
- Place the broth in a saucepan on a back burner, keeping it hot for the entire cooking time. Slice the radicchio in half lengthwise and cut out the tough core from each one. Slice crosswise into fine julienne, then chop roughly. In a large, wide skillet, warm half of the butter with half of the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until completely softened, about 4 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and add the radicchio. Sauté, tossing to cook it evenly, for 5 minutes. Remove about 5 tablespoons of the radicchio and set aside. Cover the pan partially and continue to cook, tossing the radicchio frequently and always replacing the lid, until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the radicchio mixture from the pan.
- In the same skillet, warm the remaining butter and oil over medium heat until hot but not browned, about 1 minute. With a wooden spoon, stir in the rice to coat it and heat it evenly, about 3 minutes. Return the radicchio mixture to the skillet and toss with the rice. Stir in the wine. When it has been fully absorbed, add a ladleful of the broth and stir again. When the broth is absorbed, stir in another ladleful of the broth and cook until it, too, is absorbed. Continue to add the hot broth, a ladleful at a time, until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes total. At the end, the risotto should be very loose, and the rice grains tender but still firm at the center.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and taste for salt. Stir in pepper to taste. Transfer the risotto to a warmed wide, shallow serving bowl, strew the radicchio that has been set aside over the top, and sprinkle lightly with grated cheese. Garnish with walnuts, if using. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table.