Trevisana and taleggio risotto

I would consider myself a very "girlie" girl.

I own more than 30 lip glosses, I have seen the  Sex And The City film more than 20 times and cried each and every time (oh god, the horror of the jilting scene) and, yes, there are items of clothing in my wardrobe that still have their shop-labels attached to them.

But, despite that, I'm just not a massive fan of pink.

And while tonight's risotto tasted lovely, there's no getting away from the fact that it was definitely (and defiantly) pink. So if you can get past that then do give this a go.

Trevisana or Radicchio is a red Italian chicory which is tasty but quite bitter in a good way. Apparently it's also good split and grilled with some good balsamic vinegar. In this simple risotto it marries well with the rich, mild creaminess of the taleggio.

Trevisana and taleggio risotto 
One head of trevisano shredded
One red onion finely chopped
A mug-ful of risotto rice
2/3 mugs of chicken stock
2 plump cloves of garlic crushed
A fist sized chunk of taleggio cheese cubed
A splash of olive oil
A big knob of butter

Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil and half of the butter until translucent. Add the shredded trevisana and allow to wilt. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the buttery juice. Then add the hot stock, ladle by ladle, stirring all the time. I know, it's a long old process but I find it quite pleasantly relaxing to just stir mindlessly for a while. When the rice reaches the still-a-little-bite-inside-but-soft-on-the-outside stage add the cheese and stir through to melt. Add the rest of the butter and stir again to incorporate and to add a sheen to the finished dish. I dribbled a bit of grassy olive oil on the finished plate.

Barbara Cartland would LOVE it.