Font size:
Print
The culinary tradition of the Oltrepò Pavese encompasses all those dishes that have reigned over the tables of the Pavese people for generations, and Risotto alla Vogherese is undoubtedly one of them. We will go together to discover the recipe with our Chef Patrizia Ferlini
THE HISTORY OF RISOTTO ALLA VOGHERESE
Risotto and peppers, two excellences of the Oltrepò Pavese and surrounding areas enclosed in a single dish. From the Lomellina area, rice has arrived on the tables of the Oltrepò Pavese, contaminating itself with our local products. Many varieties such as Carnaroli, Baldo, Arborio and Vialone have made, and are still making, history in these lands.
It is not uncommon to find first courses in Oltrepò Pavese with rice as the main raw material. In fact, there are many traditional risottos. One above all is risotto alla vogherese. Generally made with peppers, but specifically with the Voghera variety, which has recently entered the Slow Food universe. A species whose earliest records date back to the early 1900s and which over time was in danger of disappearing due to a disease that affected the plants.
It may sound like a heavy dish, but the Voghera pepper is a highly digestible dish due to the small amount of water it contains. It is recognisable by its distinctive four-rib shape. Its colour veers between yellow and light green and it is the ingredient of several local dishes such as the peverada sauce that accompanies boiled meats.
Risotto alla vogherese is a dish suitable for all seasons. It has always been customary to freeze or preserve in oil the large quantities of peppers harvested in summer, precisely to use them in autumn and winter preparations. It is a quick recipe, also easily found during the Voghera Pepper Festival held every year in the town of the same name in September. As previously announced, this risotto is generically based on peppers, it is up to you to choose your favourite variety.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
● 320 g Carnaroli or Vialone rice
● 1 litre of meat or vegetable stock
● 1 shallot or half a golden onion from Voghera
● Half a glass of white wine
● 2 sweet peppers
● 50 g cold butter
● 80 g Parmesan cheese
PROCEDURE
Chop the shallot or onion and brown in a pan with a little butter. In the meantime clean the peppers and cut them into pieces after removing the seeds and white filaments. Brown them too in the pan for a few minutes.
Add the rice and toast it before deglazing with the white wine. Once it has evaporated, start adding the stock a little at a time until cooked.
Turn off the heat, stir in cheese and butter and leave to rest for a minute. Serve hot.
The dish is now ready to be enjoyed and we recommend accompanying it with Sauvignon "Masaria" DOC from the Bertè Cordini farm: a perfect combination that will enhance the flavours of Risotto alla Vogherese.
