Radicchio, Pear and Gorgonzola Risotto with Toasted Walnuts

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over high heat. Add half the radicchio and sear 2–3 minutes, turning once, until wilted and charred in spots. Season with a pinch of salt and transfer to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tbsp butter and the shallots, and cook 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir 2 minutes, until the edges of the grains turn translucent and it smells toasty.
3. Pour in the wine and stir until it is almost completely absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add a ladle (about 3/4 cup) of hot broth and stir until absorbed. Continue adding broth a ladle at a time, stirring often and letting each addition absorb before the next, for about 18 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender with a slight bite at the center.
5. Stir in the raw radicchio and the pear with the last ladle of broth and cook 2 minutes, until the radicchio just wilts.
6. Take the pot off the heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, the parmesan and half the gorgonzola and stir vigorously for 30 seconds until glossy and flowing (it should spread slowly on a plate). Season with salt and pepper.
7. Spoon onto warm plates and top with the seared radicchio, remaining gorgonzola, the walnuts and a few drops of balsamic.

Kitchen tip

The finished risotto should be all'onda, meaning it ripples like a wave when you shake the plate; if it is stiff, beat in a splash more hot broth. Keep the broth simmering in a separate pot so each addition does not cool the rice down. Treviso or Chioggia radicchio both work; if the bitterness is too strong for you, soak the sliced raw radicchio in ice water for 10 minutes first. Traditional Gorgonzola and Parmigiano-Reggiano use animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian-labeled blue and hard cheese if that matters to you.

General nutrition information, not medical advice. Talk to your own healthcare provider about your needs.