Risotto with Radicchio, Walnuts and Blue Cheese

Serves 4

About 6 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
1 stalk celery, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 head radicchio, cored and cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
2 cups risotto rice, preferably Vialone Nano
1/2 cup prosecco or white wine
3/4 cup crumbled Longfellow Farm’s Bigelow blue cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
8 basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)

Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and radicchio; cook for 1 minute.

Add the rice. Stir for about 1 minute. Add the prosecco, and simmer until it has evaporated. Stir in a ladleful of the stock. Cook, adding the stock a ladleful at a time, and allowing it to be absorbed by the rice before adding more. Cook until the rice is just tender to the bite, or ‘al dente’. You may not use all of the stock.

Stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Divide between 4 serving plates, garnish with walnuts and basil and serve.