Home

Risotto with Cotechino, Lentils, and Sparkling Wine

17/11/2023

The Risotto with Cotechino, Lentils, and Sparkling Wine is a dish that combines Italian traditions, perfect for celebrations, especially for New Year’s Eve, as lentils and cotechino are symbols of prosperity and good luck for the new year. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 320 g of Carnaroli or Arborio rice
  • 200 g of precooked cotechino
  • 150 g of lentils (I recommend precooked for simplicity)
  • 1 small shallot
  • 1 glass of brut sparkling wine
  • About 1 liter of hot vegetable broth
  • 30 g of butter
  • 40 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation

  1. Begin by cutting the precooked cotechino into cubes after heating it according to the instructions on the package. Set aside.
  2. Finely chop the shallot and sauté it in a saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, without burning it.
  3. Add the rice to the saucepan and toast for a few minutes until it becomes translucent, stirring frequently.
  4. Deglaze with the glass of sparkling wine, allowing it to evaporate over high heat.
  5. Add the lentils to the risotto and continue cooking by gradually adding the hot vegetable broth a little at a time, stirring often and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladle.
  6. Halfway through cooking, also incorporate the cotechino cubes.
  7. Continue cooking the risotto until the rice is al dente, soft on the outside with a slight resistance in the center.
  8. Remove the saucepan from heat and cream with cold butter and grated Parmesan cheese, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Let the risotto rest covered for a minute to achieve perfect creaminess.
  10. Serve the risotto garnished with chopped parsley for a touch of color, if desired.

Curiosity

The risotto is an extremely versatile dish and its creaminess comes from the correct creaming technique, a term that in cooking indicates the final addition of cold butter and grated cheese to bind and make the dish creamy. The use of sparkling wine, moreover, adds a note of freshness and acidity that balances the rich taste of the cotechino and lentils.