The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Risotto by Pamela Sheldon Johns Simon & Schuster, November 2002 Hardcover - 120 pages

Creamy risotto, dotted with fresh spring peas or delicate shellfish, is a classic of the northern Italian table. This versatile dish never ceases to please -- combining the satisfying flavors of tender rice, fresh herbs, and seasonal ingredients with delicious results. Whether featuring grilled sausage and bell peppers, wild mushrooms, or the perfect pairing of salmon and dill, risotto is as equally well suited to simple suppers as it is to formal dinner parties.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Risotto offers more than 40 recipes, including old favorites and fresh new ideas, all rooted in the venerable Italian tradition. Warm up winter evenings with a rich, satisfying four-cheese risotto, or serve a light risotto with artichokes for an early summer supper. Delight guests with special dishes such as risotto-stuffed tomatoes or crisp risotto croquettes. Risotto recipes in the dessert chapter combine figs and almonds or chocolate and hazelnuts to complete this inspired collection.

Full-color photographs make it easy to decide which risotto to prepare, and photographic side notes highlight key ingredients and techniques throughout, making Risotto more than just a fine collection of recipes. An informative basics section and glossary include everything you need to know to make this hearty Italian dish a trusted favorite in your kitchen.

Risotto with Radicchio

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces pancetta, minced
1/2 cup minced onion
2 heads of Treviso radicchio, julienned
3 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine, room temperature
7-8 cups chicken stock, heated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head of Chioggia radicchio, leaves separated

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Treviso radicchio, and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove the radicchio mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, add the rice and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, making sure all the grains are well coated and rice is translucent. Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.

Begin to add the simmering stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed (but never dry on top) before adding the next 1/2 cup, reserving about 1/4 cup to add at the end. Stir frequently to prevent sticking for 18 to 20 minutes.

When the rice is tender, but still firm, turn off the heat and stir in the butter and the remaining stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place a Chioggia radicchio leaf on each individual serving plate. Spoon the risotto into (and flowing from) the leaf. Make a well in the center and spoon in the radicchio mixture. Serve at once.