Today I am a guest at my friend Pola’s beautiful site: An Italian Cooking in the Midwest. I was so thrilled when she asked me to write a post for her! Why?! Well, because I love her site. We have many things in common: we are both Italians living abroad and trying (hard) to maintain our Italian culinary traditions in places where we cannot always find all the ingredients we have grown up using and eating. It can be hard at times, but we also discover other cuisines along the way, which is great! Anyhow, this time I decided to keep up our Italian tradition and prepare one of my favourite Italian dishes for her: risotto. I found an authentic scamorza affumicata (smoked scamorza cheese) at the Italian store and I could not resist it. I love this lightly smoky cheese, especially melted on pizza, in a sandwich and in… risotto. Before I leave you to the recipe I want to THANK Pola for giving me the opportunity to be a guest over at her beautiful site and for being such a supportive and lovely fellow foodie and friend! Enjoy!
Ingredients: (for 4 people)
350 gms rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone nano)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 glass white wine
1 lt stock (preferably chicken or vegetable stock)
180 gms smoked scamorza cheese, cubed
30 gms butter
50 gms Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
Salt to taste
Pepper and more Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated to serve
Start by putting the stock in a pot and heat it on the fire. The stock has to be hot all the time while you are cooking risotto, so that the rice temperature does not drop when you add the stock to it.
Put the finely chopped onion and the extra virgin olive oil in a pot and let it cook on a slow fire, until the onion becomes soft and transparent.
Add the rice, mix well and let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until it becomes translucent.
Now pour in the white wine and let the alcohol burn off by cooking on a high flame.
Then add enough stock to cover the rice and turn the fire to medium-low.
Keep cooking, occasionally stirring the rice and adding stock little by little, until the rice is cooked. It is going to take approximately 18 to 20 minutes depending on the rice you are using.
When the rice is ready, put the fire off and add the chopped smoked scamorza, butter and Parmigiano Reggiano to it.
Mix very well, until the cheese melts and the rice becomes creamy. Make sure that your risotto is moist (or, as we say, all’onda – which literally means wavy) and not sticky. You can do that by adding 1 or 2 extra tbsp of stock if needed. Check for salt and season to your liking.
Serve with some more grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper on the top.
NOTE: Whenever you cook risotto, do not wash the rice before cooking. The starch is needed for the risotto to become creamy.
Thanks again Pola! Please, pass by An Italian Cooking in the Midwest and take your time to browse all the mouth-watering recipes that Pola has posted! You’ll get so hungry!!! Just enough to cook some risotto! 😉
Just catching up: thank you so much for this guest post! I really loved it!
I know exactly what its like living abroad and trying to find ingredients you are used to using to cook some of your favorite dishes! I love this risotto it looks amazing!
Yummy. I love risotto and we Persians always cook risotto wrong. I’m so used to basmati rice that every time I cook risotto it turns out too dry. I’m going to follow your recipe step by step this time to make it right. I love that smoky cheese btw a lot. and if you don’t mind I would love my favorite Italian blogger to post a recipe on my Persian blog too.:-)
I was on Pola’s site and I loved your guest post, so glad that you two teamed up..
Your dish look and sound divine! Would love it for my lunch!
What a luscious looking risotto. I somehow always scared when making risotto but you make it look so easy will try this recipe Manu….
That looks great. Very simple looking, but it’s not.
I love the smoked scamorza cheese in there.
Creamy, delicious, cheesy risotto! I want to build a hammock on that plate and live in that risotto paradise forever. Mmmm
i love how its so white. btw we loved your fish curry although it didn’t look as good as yours. I think maybe because i bought the frozen scraped coconut and didn’t use as much chilli.
I am so glad you guys like the fish curry! The “look” might have been different because of the chillies… they make the sauce reddish… but the taste should have been the same (only less spicy) 🙂 Hug!
Hello! I’m visiting from Pola’s site and the first thing I noticed was your gnocchi “wallpaper.” 🙂 (If that doesn’t incite the appetite, I don’t know what will — except maybe a bowl of your risotto!) Thanks for a great guest post!
Thanks Kimby! Welcome to my blog! 🙂 I am so glad you like my wallpaper… hehehehe I love gnocchi! 😉 Hope to see you around here again!
This is beautiful Manu! You always cook very delicious Italian dishes and how much I wished we’re just so near to each other! 😀
I’ve never try risotto before and had seen them at the supermarket but didn’t buy tho bcoz I’m afraid my family won’t like them. 🙁 I can say that I’m the only one who will love to try out new, different dishes and I always love them! lol
Since this is more like creamy rice, I guess my family may like it! 😉
Risotto looks so perfect and creamy. This is one of those dish that i am intimidated to give a try…but I will some day 🙂
I love a great risotto, this one looks wonderful! Great recipe!
Just perfect! I need to add risotto to my menu soon…you’ve inspired me, Manu! Off to visit your guest post~
Manu, I just came back from Paola’s site – you made such a great looking risotto! I always think your step-by-step pictures are nearly seducing as the cover shot. LOL. I get hungry by how you cook!
Risotto, I could it it every day, fantastic recipe:)
This is beautiful. So creamy and delicious looking! I used to be so intimidated by risotto, but now I love to make it! 🙂 I will go check out her blog now. 🙂
Great post. I love the idea of using a smoked cheese. The step-by-step photos are a real help too! Thanks for all the tips.
What a great risotto! Of course an Italian knows how to make the best risotto! 🙂 Finding the smoked scamorza is going to be the tricky part. Do you think a smoked gouda or smoked mozzarella would work? I ran into the same problem with one of Giulia’s recipe. I’ve got to find a place for Italian cheeses here in town! Love the post!
Hi MJ! Smoked scamorza has a very mild taste, so (even though I have never tried it), I would say that smoked mozzarella would be closer to it in taste than smoked gouda. Try, and let me know… Anyhow… all “melting” cheese is great for risotto! 😉
Nice guest post! Risotto is good! I’m still trying to master cooking it correctly. I think I overcook it too much.
GREAT guest post! I HEART risotto and have a not so secret love affair with smoked foods ;). The two together was just magical, I bet!
I love risotto but since I’m trying to limit carbs, we virtually never make it any more. We’ve been substituting barley instead of the rice…it has a similar texture, but not quite as creamy!
I love risotto and I love the simplicity of this dish Manu, and yet it delivers great flavours. It is such fantastic comfort food! Congrats on another great guest post.
i tried making basimi rice once.. such a fail it got burned o.O”
risotto looks more flavoursome.. though sadly im no rice fan ><
BUT UR PATE .. omg looks amazing!! for the love of pate!
Thank you for sharing this Manu
I was waiting for your risotto post 🙂
My imagination always comes in short when I have to find uses for smoked scamorza, so I’ll hang on to this recipe.
Love, love this.
Beautiful 🙂 I love risotto and yours looks perfect 🙂 Yum Yum!!!