Risotto with Taleggio Cheese, Pears, and Walnuts

Brrrrr. Today it’s wintertime here in Florida; it’s unusually cold and windy outside. I love the cold weather, especially because it allows me to flaunt my fashionable hats, gloves, and scarves. When it’s windy, though, I’d rather lock myself up in the house. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m all wrapped up in my favorite blanket, sipping on a cup of hot tea and still mentally savoring the warm, delicious risotto I prepared today.

I’ve been tickled by the idea of preparing a nice risotto with taleggio cheese and pears for a long time, but I’ve never been able to find this cheese in grocery stores around here. Finally, a very cool and beautiful store that recently opened up in St. Petersburg, called Locale Market, has put an end to my extensive search. Hallelujah.

In case you didn’t know, taleggio is an intense, rich, semi-soft cheese. It’s known for its pungent and strong aroma, and its unexpectedly mild, sweet and lightly tangy flavor. It melts really well, and it’s perfect for winter dishes. An Italian saying goes “al contadino non far sapere quant’è buono il cacio con le pere”, which means “don’t tell a farmer how good cheese is with pears”, implying that he would charge more or never part with them in the first place. There’s so much truth in this old saying! Pears and cheese are divine together.

When I unwrapped the taleggio cheese from its packaging, the strong aroma pervaded the whole kitchen. Despite the pungent smell of this cheese, you wouldn’t believe how delicate, yet flavorful this risotto turned out. The sweetness and brightness of the pear perfectly balanced the buttery and rich flavor of the taleggio. A final sprinkle of walnuts added further texture to the dish.

It was exactly what I needed in this cold and windy day–a flavorful and comforting risotto to warm me up.

RISOTTO WITH TALEGGIO CHEESE, PEARS, AND WALNUTS
Servings: 2 | Preparation time: 10-15 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes
Note: If you can’t find taleggio, you can substitute it in this recipe with a soft gorgonzola or fontina cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 lt (32 oz) vegetable broth
extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (+ ½ Tbsp)
1/4 cup shallot, chopped
1 big Bosc pear, diced
175 g (1 cup) arborio or carnaroli rice
50 g (~2 oz) taleggio cheese, diced
(optional) ¼ cup dry white wine
a handful of parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of walnuts, coarsely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat vegetable broth in a saucepan.
2. In a dutch-oven (or a thick-bottom pot), add 1 tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Add chopped shallot, and sauté until translucent.
3. [The risotto cooks in about 20 minutes] Turn the heat to medium-high, add the rice and toast it briefly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Once the rice grains start to look shiny and semi-transparent, pour in the wine or ¼ cup of broth. Let the rice absorb the liquid.
4. Turn the heat to medium-low and add a ladleful of broth. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step throughout the recipe, adding broth and stirring the rice often, letting it absorb the liquid slowly.
5. Halfway through (about 10 minutes after adding rice), add the diced pears. Continue adding broth regularly, until the rice is plump and al dente. I usually stop adding liquid about 17 minutes in.
6. When the rice is al dente, remove it from the heat. Add taleggio cheese, ½ tablespoon of butter and the parmesan cheese. Add salt, if necessary. Stir vigorously for about a minute to make it creamy. Let rest for 2-3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.

Buon Appetito!

Lisa