Risotto with Beetroot and Creamy Gorgonzola

There's a restaurant I used to love back in Italy that serves this incredible Risotto with Beetroot and Creamy Gorgonzola and I've been missing it so much I had to email them to have the recipe! The taste is just divine - if you're a risotto person, this recipe is going to make you very very happy!


I understand Gorgonzola is not so accessible all the time, but if you can't find it or don't want to pay the ridiculous amount of money they charge for it in some deli shops, you can look for great alternatives made in Australia. For this particular recipe you want a young Gorgonzola (or other blue cheese) because it needs to be creamy and not too strong in flavour.

The rice: risotto cannot be made with any type of rice, because you need a variety which is rich in starch so it comes out nice and creamy. The one and only is Carnaroli rice, but Roma can also be ok if you have trouble finding it. Arborio is mostly used for cold rice salads and the long grain rice is good for different styles of cooking.

Beetroots should come from your local farmer, we only use a small one here but we want it to taste nice!


Ingredients (serves about 4)
- 250 gr Carnaroli rice (or Roma)
- 1 small beetroot, boiled and peeled
- 40 gr shallot
- 1.5 l vegetable stock
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 40 gr unsalted butter
- 40 gr Parmigiano cheese

For the blue cheese cream
- 100 gr creamy Gorgonzola (choose a young cheese)
- 150 cl milk
- half a teaspoon of potato starch

Steps
1. Blend the beetroot until it's a smooth, creamy texture and put aside.

2. Have your vegetable stock on a medium heat, and keep it hot for the whole time until your risotto is ready.

3. In a big fry-pan melt the butter, add shallot and rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the wine and saute until it evaporates.

5. Now start adding the stock little by little, using a ladle. Add a scoop, stir until the rice absorbs it all, the add the next one. Keep going for about 20 minutes or until your rice is cooked. Watch the rice releasing the starch as you add the stock. At the end you will have it nice and creamy.

6. When cooked, cover the rice with a lid and let it rest for a few minutes, this is when the texture adjusts. While waiting, prepare the Gorgonzola cream (see instructions below).

How to make the Gorgonzola cream:
1. Heat up the milk and add the potato starch to it. Stir energetically to avoid lumps.

2. Add the cheese and let it melt completely. Keep stirring on a low heat until it's a creamy consistency.

3. Serve the rice with the cream on the side so that people can add as much as they like.

My Advice
In this dish the sweet taste of the beetroot get balanced by the contrasting cheese flavour. If you're not a fan of blue cheese you can substitute Pecorino or Parmigiano, but you'll need longer to melt them.



More risotto recipes
If you like risotto dishes you should definitely try the Red Wine Risotto