Apple Risotto with Walnuts

Well, hello autumn! The apples are ripe for the picking and the walnuts are ready to come off the trees. Both taste fantastic in a risotto. Apple Risotto with Walnuts, a sweet and savoury speciality, comes from Trentino South Tyrol, the stronghold of the Italian apple cultivation. Pepper and sage add a special something, as does crispy fried South Tyrolean bacon

Apple Risotto with Walnuts - Strong and successful together

Although the apple cultivation in Trentino South Tyrol is restricted to the valleys, the region is currently one of the most important apple producers of the EU. One centre of apple production is located in Non Valley, in the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, located around 1000 metres above sea level. The individual farms there are quite small, but the farmers understood how they could ensure their survival many centuries ago: by supporting each other and by sharing. Cooperative-like structures quickly developed. These still work well today and secure the farmers’ success. Needless to say, the delicious apples also play their part. How did they got their red cheeks? A legend reveals this: 

The Princess and the Blood Apple

Tresenga was a beautiful princess in Ragoli, who rejected all marriage proposals, those of the King of Tuenno even twice. Insulted and enraged, the King then moved in with an army. The princess asked her people whether she should marry the King and give up the independence of her country. The people decided to fight against the superior power. Once the battle on the shores of Lake Tovel was over, the water was red from the blood that had been spilled. As were the once light-coloured apples on the surrounding trees! Back to reality: Lake Tovel did, in fact, suddenly turn deep red every summer well into the 1960s. The cause, however, was a rare algae species - and not the anniversary of the fight for freedom. 

Apple Risotto with Walnuts

A sweet and savoury speciality comes from Trentino South Tyrol

4.72 from 7 votes

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course main dish, rice

Cuisine Italian, Trentino South Tyrol

Servings 4 serves

Calories 669 kcal

Ingredients

 

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• 2 apples, sweet-sour
• 100 g walnuts, peeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 leaves sage
• 1 l vegetable stock, clear
• 300 g risotto rice
• 500 ml white wine, dry
• 1 tbsp butter
• grana cheese, or parmesan
• pepper, from the mill

optional

• bacon

Instructions

 

• Chop up the nuts, roast them in a pan without fat and put them aside. Warm up the vegetable stock. Peel the apples, cut them into bite-sized pieces and fry them in a pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil and sage. Add the rice and fry it for 1 minute or until the rice grains crackle slightly. Add the wine and let the liquid evaporate.
• The hot stock can now be poured in - just enough to cover the rice. Let the risotto simmer, stirring it every now and again and adding the stock until the rice is cooked. Depending on the type of rice you use, this will take about 17 to 20 minutes.
• You will find there commended cooking times on the package. The rice grain should still have a little bite to it. At the end, stir with butter and grated grana cheese until the risotto is creamy. Serve with plenty of pepper and the roasted nuts. If you like, you can fry some bacon and serve it with the risotto. 

Nutrition

Calories: 669 kcalCarbohydrates: 79 gProtein: 9 gFat: 27 gSaturated Fat: 4 gCholesterol: 8 mgSodium: 35 mgPotassium: 353 mgFiber: 6 gSugar: 11 gVitamin A: 138 IUVitamin C: 5 mgCalcium: 41 mgIron: 4 mg

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Buon appetito!