Maybe not everyone is familiar with Burrata. It is a kind of fresh cheese typical of the Italian region of Apulia, in the south of the country. It is in fact a “composite” cheese as it is made of a mozzarella outer shell filled with soft mozzarella scraps and cream and then closed to form a “pouch”. It is a delicious cheese and cutting into it reserves an even more decadent surprise, as the inside is very soft and oozing with cream. It is best eaten fresh and served at room temperature. You can eat it on its own or you can cook with it and add it to pasta sauces or risotto, like in today’s recipe. Truffle Oil may seem a bit of a strange addition to this dish, but in Italy it is often drizzled over mozzarella and it goes incredibly well with burrata too. Simply drizzle a little truffle oil on your risotto just before serving. This is a very hearty, yet delicate and sophisticated dish that is great for both a quick dinner or a more special occasion. Enjoy!
Burrata and Truffle Oil Risotto
A creamy and delicious risotto made with Burrata cheese and a drizzle of Truffle Oil.
Ingredients
- 320 gms – 11.3 oz. rice Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone nano
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50 ml – 1.7 oz. white wine
- 200 gms – 7 oz. Burrata
- 1 lt – 4 cups salty water or vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
- 4 tbsp Truffle Oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
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Start by putting the water with a pinch of salt (or the vegetable stock) in a pot and heat it on the fire. The water has to be hot all the time while you are cooking risotto, so that the rice temperature does not drop when you add the water to it.
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Put the finely chopped onion and the 2 tbsp of 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 hot water/stock to cover the rice and turn the fire to medium-low. Keep cooking, occasionally stirring the rice and adding hot water 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.
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When the rice is ready, put the fire off and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and chopped Burrata to it (including the Burrata juices/cream).
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Mix very well, until the rice becomes creamy.
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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 hot water/stock if needed. Check for salt and season to your liking.
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Serve immediately and drizzle with Truffle Oil.
I might have come across burrata, but I am not sure… At least now I know about it’s existence, so I will be keeping an eye open for it since some Italians make excellent cheese here in Goa.
When we were in Cicily visiting family.. I saw this on the table but did not get a chance to eat since there was always so much food on the table you would think they saw us as Starving. Its been so long being there since my youth there.. that I cant recollect what was fed to me. Maybe I did and dont know it? My Grandma was always telling me “Eat eat.. you look so skinny with no meat on your bones.” My mom was a little upset to which made me think of reasons why my dad said he moved to Texas. But it will be my question to each Italian restaurant to look for it and try to find every little item we can find to cook up a batch and my little one can carry the tradition to her own family.. (When that Happens!) I can wait for that time myself. we will get a chance to try this new flavor! thank you for sharing!
Excellent recipe!! I have just tried it out and it was excellent. I think the key is the vegetable juice which gives taste to the dish