INGREDIENTS

4 cups radicchio
butter, for cooking
1 small onion, thinly sliced
garlic clove, crushed
three strips of bacon, sliced
1/4 cup water
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
300 g Arborio rice
125 ml red wine
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups parmesan cheese, grated

TO MAKE

Wash the radicchio well, pat-dry and slice into fine strips. Set aside.

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium-low heat and gently sauté the onion and garlic. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the radicchio and a little of the water, then cook gently until wilted. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large, separate pan, heat the stock and keep warm as you cook the risotto.

In the same pan you used to cook the radicchio, add a little extra butter and add the rice. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the rice starts to become translucent.

Pour in the red wine, stirring continuously until it’s fully absorbed by the rice.

Add the stock approximately 1/3 cup at a time, using a ladle to gently push the rice into the liquid. Wait until the stock is absorbed each time before adding more.

When the risotto has reached your desired consistency, add the bacon and radicchio mixture, 1 cup of the parmesan and stir well.

Cover the pan with a lid and let sit for a few minutes until the parmesan melts and the radicchio colours the rice.

Spoon the risotto into individual serving bowls and sprinkle a generous amount of grated parmesan on each.