Risotto with Purple Cabbage

Risotto with purple cabbage is a colorful and tasty variation of the classic Italian risotto, providing a pleasant visual contrast and a delicate, slightly sweet taste. Here’s how to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

• 320 g of risotto rice (Carnaroli, Arborio, or Vialone Nano)
• 1/2 medium purple cabbage
• 1 small white onion
• 1.5 l of vegetable broth
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine
• 40 g of butter
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Begin by finely chopping the onion and sautéing it in a large pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it becomes transparent.
2. Add the rice, toast it for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously to flavor it and prevent sticking.
3. Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate over medium-high heat.
4. In the meantime, cut the purple cabbage into thin strips, having removed the central core.
5. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth to the rice and start cooking, adding broth as the rice absorbs the liquid and stirring frequently.
6. About halfway through cooking (after about 8-10 minutes), add the purple cabbage to the risotto and continue to stir.
7. Continue cooking until the rice is al dente and the risotto has a creamy consistency, adjust salt and pepper.
8. Once the risotto is cooked, remove it from the heat and cream it with the cold butter and grated Parmesan until you achieve an even creamier consistency.
9. Let it rest for a minute, then serve it hot.

Trivia

Purple cabbage, in addition to being an aesthetically very attractive vegetable, also offers numerous health benefits thanks to its high content of vitamin C and anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants. Moreover, during cooking, it can change color becoming more blue or pink depending on the pH of the environment it is in, so don’t be surprised if you see your risotto change shades as you prepare it.