Risotto with Radicchio and Mascarpone

Two remarks to start with: firstly, there are, I think, two schools of thought about the consistency of risotto, creamy or grainy, which is achieved either by stirring more or less constantly or by not stirring at all. With mushrooms I prefer it grainy, with this one I definitely like the creamy consistency, which is underlined by the mascarpone. Secondly, I had always thought of radicchio as a salad, but having had it as a crostini topping, I realised what a versatile plant it is. More on that one soon…

What you need

(serves three to four as a main meal)

• 400 g risotto rice
• 200 ml white wine
• 3-400 ml vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 or more cloves of garlic
• 200 g mascarpone, perhaps mascarpone mixed with gorgonzola
• 2 handful radicchio cut into strips, not too narrow
• 1 yellow pepper quartered and sliced (I only had a red, but yellow looks nicer)
• salt and pepper, optionally Teeparadies Hildegard spice mix.
• Shavings of parmesan or pecorino romano

What you do

1. Fry the onions in generous olive oil until they are glassy, add the rice and get it glassy as well.
2. Pour in the wine and allow it to be absorbed, then keep adding the broth, stirring the risotto quite often.
3. When the rice corns are still quite hard at the very centre, add the garlic and the mascarpone.
4. Stir for another five minutes or so – until the risotto is practically done – then add the peppers and the radicchio (this way they get cooked but will still be crispy).
5. Season with salt (if needed) and pepper, optionally but warmly recommended with the Teeparadies Hildegard herb mixture.
6. Serve with a generous shavings parmesan or pecorino romano