Radicchio Risotto (Risotto al radicchio)

This hearty risotto dish from the Veneto region of Italy is cooked with radicchio, short-grain rice, red wine, asiago cheese, and shallots. Top it off with toasted hazelnuts and more asiago for crunch and luscious texture. Buon appetito!

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces (200 grams) pancetta, finely diced
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground black pepper
• 2 cups (480 ml) Vialone Nano rice (or substitute with arborio)
• ½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable stock, hot
• 2 small heads radicchio, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ cups (360 ml) grated asiago, plus more for serving
• Toasted hazelnuts, for garnish

Method:

• Fry pancetta in a skillet over medium heat. When fat has rendered and pancetta has started to crisp up, pour out half of the fat from the pan.
• Add shallots and black pepper. Cook until shallots are translucent and soft.
• Add rice and stir to combine. Cook, stirring, until rice smells toasty.
• Add dry red wine and cook until it evaporates.
• Add 1 to 2 ladles of simmering vegetable stock to rice, stirring often. Once stock has evaporated, continue adding 1 to 2 ladles of stock, repeating this step until the dish is creamy but the rice is al dente.
• Add thinly sliced radicchio, thyme leaves, and grated asiago and fold to incorporate.
• When radicchio has just wilted, remove from heat and divide between serving dishes. Top with more grated asiago cheese, fresh radicchio, and toasted hazelnuts.