Cheese Wheel Risotto Alfredo

Published on July 2, 2022 in Italian By Vincenzo Prosperi

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Cheese Wheel Risotto Alfredo

Cheese wheel risotto Alfredo, made simply with rice and Grana Padano cheese will chance the way you feel about making risotto. This easy to make recipe is a classic and follows my number one rule: NO CREAM, yet boasts a texture that might make you think otherwise, and even Nonna approves! In this recipe with Nonna you will learn not only how to make risotto, but how to make it in a cheese wheel! With Grana Padano among the top Italian cheeses and a 40kg wheel arriving at my door, I couldn’t resist but make cheese wheel risotto.

Watch the CHEESE WHEEL RISOTTO ALFREDO video recipe

How To Make CHEESE WHEEL RISOTTO ALFREDO

Vincenzo’s Top Tips

Strong Carving Knife

If you manage to get your hands on a whole wheel of cheese, make sure you have a strong/sharp knife to help you carve it so that it won’t be hard for you to make a great hole at the center.

Aged Rice Vs Non-Aged Rice

Just before making this recipe, I was introduced to an incredible aged rice. After experimenting using it to make risotto, I discovered it actually doesn’t need to be toasted. If you can’t find this type when sourcing your ingredients, classic rice is fine, just make sure you toast it for at least 2-3 minutes when preparing your cheese wheel risotto.

Pressing down on the rice is the key!

Make sure that once you put the risotto at the center of the cheese wheel, take your time to press it down quite a bit because the heat from the rice helps to melt the cheese and creates an even creamier, more flavoursome result.

More cheese, much cheesier Cheese Wheel Risotto!

The delicate and rich taste of the cheese makes this the star ingredient of this dish so make sure to scrape the sides of your cheese wheel as much as you like – adding as you go and choosing your level of Grana Padano flavour.

No salt needed

The cheese is salty so you don’t actually need any additional salt at all for this dish. If it lacks at all in flavour – or you don’t have a cheese wheel for added cheesi-ness, just use authentic Grana Padano grated cheese, sprinkling in as much as you like!

How to plate Cheese Wheel Risotto Alfredo

To serve up your cheese wheel risotto alfredo, make sure that you carved out a well in the middle part of the Grana Padano by using a carving knife to scoop a generous portion of cheese from the center.

When adding the risotto to the center of the Grana Padano wheel, use two spoons to press it down into the cheese so the heat from the rice helps melt the cheese. Plus this will completely infuse the salty flavour into your risotto.

As for the final touch, before you finish, scoop up some rice and make sure the texture is creamy and mixed well with the melted Grana Padano. Finally, it is time to dig into your creamy risotto alfredo – obviously you need to serve straight from the wheel!

The taste of the cheese with white wine and Acquerello rice makes this rich in flavor with minimal ingredients. A taste of history and a true culinary experience!

Cheese Wheel Risotto Alfredo

This rich and creamy cheese wheel risotto alfredo turns a classic recipe into a culinary experience! The unique taste of Grana Padano complements the rice, completely infusing it with its salty flavour. Using just a few key ingredients to create the taste of Italy will make this a dish you will never forget!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Equipment

1 Large pan/skillet/pot big enough to hold all the liquid and rice You can also use a skillet or pot. They just need to be big enough to hold all the liquid and rice.
1 wooden spoon
1 Serving spoon
1 Glass Standard size
Serving plate Flat plates work best for risotto
2 Mixing bowls
1 Carving Knife

Ingredients

350 g Rice 12oz (Aged if you're able to source it)
1/2 Onion Chopped
100 g Butter 4oz
1/2 glass White Wine Dry wine is best, nothing too sweet
4 tbsp Grated Grana Padano
1/2 liter Vegetable Stock 6 cups
1/2 wheel Grana Padano Not necessary but definitely an incredible addition to the recipe if you buy one!
Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

To Prepare the Cheese Wheel:
Make sure to carve and break the middle part, creating a hole so that the risotto can be finished in the cheese and you can mix it through and make it creamy.
Mark the spot where you’ll make the well so you concentrate on that area.
To carve the cheese wheel, it's best to use the specific Grana Padano knife, otherwise you will need something quite sharp and specific.
Clean out the remaining cheese in the well and put it to the side - make sure you taste some as you go. This cheese at room temperature is even more flavoursome that you might think!
To Prepare the Risotto Alfredo:
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into your pot, then place chopped onions in the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Sauté this for 3 minutes. then once the onion is nice and brown, time to add the Acquerello rice in the pot. The rice does not need to be toasted because it’s an aged rice - if using an alternative be sure to toss it for 3-4 minutes.
Add half glass of white wine and start counting the cooking time from now. Use the instructions noted on your packet of rice for the time - mine needs 15 min cooking time to be ready
Always stir while cooking the rice so it does not stick and also so it cooks evenly.
Let the wine evaporate and then add the stock until it covers the rice.
Add more stock when the rice dries up - keep following this process until you reach the cooking time and/or you are happy with the consistency of the rice.
Make sure that the rice is always is the moist while cooking!
Once you are happy with the texture, leave a small amount of liquid in the rice to help create the creamy texture for your cheese wheel risotto.
Switch off the stove THEN add the butter and combine before adding a generous amount of black pepper - freshly ground is best!
If using a cheese wheel, add the risotto to it at this point, mixing the risotto in and scooping up some of the cheese and combining it as you go - this should melt into the rice.
Now, your cheese wheel risotto alfredo is ready to serve and eat.
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!