Riccardo's risotto, vivid red from real beets, not from any coloring. He made it without wine and with 320 g of rice instead of the usual 300, for a heartier serving. The trick for the color is blending part of the beets into a purée and dissolving it into the stock, while the rest stays diced small to give some bite.

Why part of the beet gets blended and part stays diced

They're two different jobs for the same ingredient. The purée, dissolved into the cooking stock, colors the rice evenly and adds creaminess, exactly the way pumpkin breaks down in the pumpkin risotto. The diced pieces, added only in the last few minutes, stay recognizable to the bite and give texture: if you added them whole from the start, after 12-14 minutes of cooking they'd break down into the purée too.

The size of the dice isn't a small detail

This is the most important correction compared to a lot of recipes out there: 0.5 cm, not 1 cm. A 1-centimeter cube, added in the last few minutes of cooking, doesn't have time to heat through to the center: you're left with a cold, chewy core in an otherwise creamy risotto, an unpleasant contrast instead of a pleasant one. Cut smaller, the beet heats through in a few minutes and stays tender all the way through.

Why no wine, and what to use instead

White wine in a risotto is there to deglaze: it adds acidity and lifts the base flavors off the bottom of the bowl. A ladle of boiling stock at the same point in the recipe does the job just as well. The result isn't identical (you lose a bit of that tangy edge), but it stays just as creamy and well bound.

Why the speck browns with no fat added

Diced speck releases enough of its own fat in the pan to brown and turn crispy on its own: adding more would just fry it instead of letting it crisp up properly. The contrast between the creamy risotto underneath and the crispy topping on top is the detail that makes the dish, the same logic behind the asparagus tips browned separately in the asparagus risotto.

Variations

With goat cheese: 50 g in pieces folded in with the butter instead of half the Parmigiano, for a tangier note that pairs well with the beet's sweetness.
Without speck: a vegetarian version, swapping the crispy topping for toasted chopped hazelnuts.
With poppy seeds: a sprinkle on top along with the speck, for extra crunch.

Storage

Risotto is best served right after finishing. If you have leftovers, the next day it makes a great base for arancini: the red color stays vivid even cold.

Ingredients

320 g risotto rice (Carnaroli)

200 g cooked beets (vacuum-packed), to blend into a purée

100 g cooked beets, diced small (0.5 cm)

100 g speck, diced, for the crispy topping

700 g vegetable stock, boiling

1 small shallot (about 20 g)

20 g extra virgin olive oil

30 g cold butter from the fridge, to finish

40-50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano

salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Blend the 200 g of beets in the bowl to a smooth purée. Transfer to a bowl and set aside: this is what gives the whole risotto its vivid color

⏱ 10 secvel 6

Put the peeled shallot in the bowl and chop it. Scrape it down to the bottom with the spatula

⏱ 5 secvel 5

Add the oil and brown it, reverse mode

⏱ 3 minvel 1🌡 120°C

Add the rice and toast it, reverse mode

⏱ 2 minvel 1🌡 100°C

Deglaze with a ladle of boiling stock instead of wine, through the lid opening, reverse mode: this keeps the risotto alcohol-free

⏱ 1 minvel 1🌡 100°C

Pour in the remaining boiling stock and the beet purée, and a pinch of salt. Stir well with the spatula to release the rice from the bottom. Cook, reverse mode, at Soft speed (spoon symbol), resting the basket on the lid instead of the measuring cup: check the time on the rice packet, usually 12-14 minutes

⏱ 12-14 minvel soft (spoon)🌡 100°C

In the last 3-4 minutes of cooking, add the diced beets: this way they stay tender but still recognizable, without breaking down

Meanwhile, in a small pan with no fat added, brown the diced speck over high heat until crispy. Drain any excess fat on paper towel and set aside

Turn off the Thermomix, add the cold butter in pieces and the Parmigiano, and gently fold together with the spatula

Close the lid and let the risotto rest in the bowl before serving

⏱ 2 min

Plate and top with the crispy speck

Tip

Cut the beets into 0.5 cm cubes, not 1 cm as many recipes suggest: pieces that are too large stay chewy in the middle within the risotto's cooking time, while small ones heat through and stay tender.

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