Pear risotto may sound a little strange, but sweet pears with Gorgonzola cheese are a classic combination, and it works so well in this dish.
Like all of my risotto recipes, I cook this dish traditionally, and it will go from your fridge to your table in a little over 45 minutes.
Risotto Gorgonzola e Pere
Risotto rice is so often a saviour in our kitchen. No matter what is happening, I always have something in the cupboard I can rustle up a tasty bowl of comfort food.
You can go fancy like my crab and saffron risotto and lemon and prawn risotto, or use simple ingredients like my chicken and bacon risotto and leek and mushroom risotto.
This time out, I have a halfway house, a pear, Gorgonzola and walnut risotto.
Although this combination may seem strange to some, pear and blue cheese are a classic combination. One that I use in my roasted pears and blue cheese recipe.
Like all of my risotto recipes, I cook this dish in the traditional way, which involves standing at the cooker stirring as you go.
But it is delightfully simple, so simple in fact, that you can sip on the wine as you cook without fear of messing up!
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of risotto rice do you use?
I always test my risotto recipe with arborio rice, mainly because it is the easiest to find, but it is also a little more forgiving.
However, I prefer to cook risotto with carnaroli rice, I think it leads to a slightly creamier dish. But it is a little less forgiving and can become "stodgy" if you cook it too far.
Can I use different types of blue cheese?
Yes, I have stuck with the traditional Gorgonzola in this recipe. But it works really well with British Stilton, French Roquefort and even Danish Bleu.
Those cheeses are listed in decreasing flavour profiles, with Stilton being the punchiest.
Do I have to use wine?
I almost always add a splash of booze to my risotto recipes, and you could replace the wine in this recipe with either dry vermouth or even dry sherry.
If you want to omit the alcohol, you want to add a little "sharp" flavour. A tablespoon or two of white wine vinegar or cider vinegar would work well.
Can I make this in advance?
Technically, yes, it will be safe to eat after storing in the fridge for 3-5 days. However, I will not be at its best.
The act of reheating the risotto will cause the rice to overcook. You could cook it until it is al dente (step 8) and stop. Then finish the risotto later, this is a great option for a dinner party!
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of risotto is the ultimate one-bowl complete meal in my mind, and this pear, gorgonzola and walnut number is no different.
I don't usually serve my risotto recipes with anything other than a glass of wine.
However, if you wanted something a little "more", look no further than some bread to clean the bowl after.
I usually opt for some garlic baguette, although I have been crushing on this soft potato focaccia of late, and it is perfect for this dish.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan (with a lid).
- 15cm or 6" saucepan.
- A second frying pan, any size is fine, so long as it is big enough to hold the pear slices in a single layer.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Vegetable peeler.
- A ladle, stirring and serving spoons.
- A spatula to flip the pear slices.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Pear and Gorgonzola Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 125 g Risotto Rice ⅔ Cup
- 1 Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 50g
- 1 Large Conference Pear 250g
- 35 g Walnut Halves ¼ Cup
- 65 g Butter ½ Stick
- 125 ml Dry White Wine ½ Cup
- 500-650 ml Vegetable Stock 2-2½ Cups
- 125 g Gorgonzola Cheese 1¼ Cups
- 35 g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese ½ Cup
- Salt as Required
- 5-6 Sage leaves
Instructions
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Heat the vegetable stock in a small 15-17cm (6-7") saucepan.
- Peel the pear, cut it in half, and scoop out the core. Then take 6 thin (2-3mm or ⅛") slices from the centre of the pear, plunge them into cold acidulated water and set aside. Cut the remaining bits of pear into 1cm (just under ½") pieces and set them aside in a second bowl of acidulated water.
- Roughly chop the walnut halves.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-low heat, and when it is hot, add 25g of the butter. When the butter begins to foam, add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes without adding any colour.
- Add the risotto rice and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges of the rice begin to become opaque.
- Pour in the white wine, and stir until almost all of it has evaporated or been absorbed. A starchy residue should start to form at the base of the pan.
- Have a taste of the stock before you get started, and add salt if you think it needs it. Add a ladle of the hot vegetable stock to the pan and stir again until almost all of the stock has been absorbed and you have a similar white starchy residue in the base of the pan. Repeat until the rice has the tiniest of "bites" but is very nearly cooked. This will be around 23-27 minutes.
- Drain the diced pear and add it to the almost-cooked risotto along with the gorgonzola cheese and chopped walnuts, stir and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat, toss in another 25g of butter, and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese. Add a lid and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Whilst the risotto is resting, heat a second frying pan over a high-medium heat and add the last 15g of butter. Drain and dry the pear slices and fry them until nicely coloured, then flip and fry the second side.
- Whilst the second side is cooking, finely shred the sage leaves and toss them into the pan.
- Return to the resting risotto and stir to combine the butter and parmesan cheese.
- Serve the risotto topped with the fried sage and pear slices.
