Beetroot risotto with Gorgonzola cheese
Don't we all need a touch of colour on these gloomy days in January? Oh yes we do.
Here in the UK it is very cold at the moment and the sky is overcast by a thick cloud with drizzly rain. This sort of weather cries out for comfort and colourful food.
Beetroot adds a splash of colour to your risotto, it is delicate and with the addition of the cheese it is very creamy; if you don't like Gorgonzola you can swap it for any soft cheese you like.
This would be a perfect dish for Valentine. With a pastry cutter cut out some hearts of the cooked beetroot and place them over your risotto.
The perfect dish for lovers!
- Prep Time : 25 minutes
- Cook Time : 18 minutes
Ingredients
- rice for risotto (carnaroli or arborio) - 400 g / 1.9 cups / 14 oz
- cooked beetroot - 3 medium
- parsley - a small bunch
- onion - 1
- carrot - 1
- celery stick - 1
- salt and pepper
- organic vegetable stock cube - 1
- gorgonzola cheese - 150 g / 5 oz
- olive oil
- white wine - 125 ml / 4.22 fl oz
- milk - 4 tbsp
- grated Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Instructions
Make the "soffritto" by chopping finely the onion, the carrot and the celery stick. A soffritto is one of the bases in Italian cooking. It makes the base adding flavour to soups, risottos, pasta dishes, fish and meat.
Stir fry your soffritto until translucent in a pan with two tbsp of olive oil.
Bring to the boil one Liter of water or 35 fl oz then dissolve the stock cube in it.
Whiz the beetroot in a processor.
Add the rice to the pan stirring all the time over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir for another minute so it will evaporate.
Add the cooked beetroot, salt and pepper, 1 tbsp of chopped parsley and slowly add the broth.
Cook the rice whilst stirring all the time and keep topping up with the broth as it dries out.
Normally rice for risotto cooks in 18 minutes but follow your packet instructions.
Look at that bright happy colour, it is so inviting!
In a pan, over a low heat melt the Gorgonzola cheese with the milk. Leave a knob of cheese out.
When the rice is cooked, switch the heat off and add the knob of Gorgonzola and 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese and stir well.
Serve with the melted Gorgonzola on top and a few parsley leaves scattered around.
So creamy and so delicious!
I am entering this to "Cook Blog Share" and "Cooking with Herbs".
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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What an intriguing idea, Alida!!! Your risotto looks gorgeous and as you say, just perfect for Valentine’s Day. You are so creative. I have a feeling it tastes really yummy too:)
It sure would brighten up these days around here too. You have rain and we have snow in the forecast…
Thank you so much for sharing, Alida…
Thank you Louise!
What lovely risotto Alida!
Look sooo good!
xo
Oh yes please a bit of colour on a dreary January day is just what the doctor ordered! The beetroot turns this risotto such a deep red- beautiful! #cookblogshare
Thank you Hayley!
Wow!!! What a lovely colour! You are really very talented Alida. This dish is beautiful and incredibly eye-catching! I love Gorgonzola too and I know that it tastes perfect with beetroot!
Dear Alida,
This dish is so colorful and it looks really yummy. I love risotto but have never had it with beetroot. The color is so deep. Love the idea of the soft cheese and to top it off with as well. When I first looked at the dish it looked like a pizza with the red sauce and the cheese. Then I did a double take and what an interesting idea. You are truly a creative chef. A wonderful and romantic recipe for Valentines Day or any day…Thanks for sharing…Have a wonderful Thursday…
Dottie 🙂
I love beetroot and am always looking for new ways to use it. This looks delicious x #cookblogshare
My husband would love this, he is a big beetroot fan. I would never have though of adding it to beetroot but it looks like it worked really well. A really bright dish for a dull day
Wow! Looks terrific, Alida!
I’m dying to give your recipe a try!
PS. I’m organizing a chocolate contest on my bilingual blog. Maybe you’d like to join us? 🙂
La barbabietola la preparo solo in insalata, ottima idea prepararci un risotto, deve essere buonissimo, hai ragione, è un piatto perfetto per s. Valentino! Un abbraccio carissima Alida!
Thank you Francesca!
What beautiful color!!! As you mentioned, perfect for San Valentino…..have a good week!!! Baci…
That looks amazing – never thought to add beetroot to risotto… but it’s the cheese that’s holding my attention right now… yum! Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
BEAUTIFUL Alida and such a GREAT recipe to cheer me up on a cold winter’s day!
Looks like a wonderful and healthy recipe 🙂 Would love to try it.
Thank you Jessica.