Risotto al Barolo: A Tribute to Piedmont, Italy

Despite having less land area than the state of California, Italy is the fourth largest rice-exporting country in the world and the leading rice producer in the European Union, accounting for 50 percent of all rice grown in the EU (PDF).  Of the numerous varieties grown in Italy, Arborio is perhaps the most familiar and the classic choice for making risotto.  Although it is usually associated with high-end cuisine in the states, risotto is actually a staple of Italian home cooking and comfort food.

Different regions in Italy have their own variation on this popular dish. Piedmont (or Piemonte to Italians), the westernmost region of the Po Valley’s “Rice Belt,” is known for Risotto al Barolo.  While risotto is typically made with white wine elsewhere, this Piemontese variation calls for Barolo, a robust local red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape.  Featuring two of the region’s most important crops (in 1999, Piedmont alone accounted for 10 percent of Italy’s rice production), Risotto al Barolo arguably captures the essence of Piedmont’s agriculture in a single dish.

Due to the near-constant stirring that is required, risotto gets a bad rap as a difficult and labor-intensive dish. However, the general technique for making risotto is fairly straightforward and highly adaptable to whatever ingredients happen to be in your pantry.

The most important step for good risotto is to prepare the ingredients and gather all your equipment—including the serving bowls—before you fire up the stove. Cook, stirring constantly, until al dente, when the rice still has a bit of chew and is the consistency of thick porridge.  Risotto is ready when it flows slowly to fill the space left when you draw your spoon through it—or as an Italian might describe it, the risotto should be like la onda, a wave slowly rolling to the shore.  Finally, don’t let all that stirring go to waste:  Risotto is best served immediately, before the starch sets and the creaminess is lost.

Risotto al Barolo
Adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali
Time: 30 minutes
Makes 6 to 8 first-course servings

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
1 cup Barolo or other dry red wine
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1. Warm the broth in a medium saucepan over low heat, keeping it just below a simmer—it should be smoking by the time you start the risotto.  Measure, chop, and gather all the ingredients.
2. In a wide, deep skillet, heat oil until very hot but not smoking.  Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Do not brown; reduce heat as needed.
3. Add rice and stir with wooden spoon until opaque and slightly toasted.
4. Add wine and a ladleful of hot stock to the rice and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed.  Continue stirring and adding hot stock a ladleful at a time, always waiting until liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more.
5. Cook until rice is tender and creamy but not mushy, about 20 minutes.  Toward end of cooking time, the rice will soften quickly, so stir constantly and taste often.
6. Turn off heat and stir in butter.  Add the cheese and serve with additional Parmesan.

Note: Traditionally, risotto is served as a primo, or first course.  Sausage or Borlotti beans may be added for a more robust variation.  Cook your sausage or beans separately, and then add to the risotto mixture at the same time that you start adding the broth.