Truffle risotto is a decadent comfort food. Its velvety texture melts on your tongue, and the earthiness of the truffle makes it an excellent complement to rich, fatty proteins. Truffle risotto eats well on its own, and it is an excellent side dish that rounds out most meals.
Our Truffle Risotto Kit is a popular product, and we sometimes get emails asking us what to serve with truffle risotto. So, we designed three meals that would pair perfectly with truffle risotto – one for beef lovers, one with poultry, and a vegetarian option. We also included wine suggestions that will be the perfect accompaniment to these truffle risotto meal options. We hope you enjoy!
In general, fatty foods pair well with truffle risotto because they help to bring out the full flavor of the truffle in the risotto. Truffle risotto can take on many personalities – it can make a high-end meal taste more decadent or a simple meal taste more rustic - so the options we provided can be used for dinner parties, dates nights, family meals, or even meals for one.
For these pairings, we opted for red wines with acidity. The acidity of the wines helps to cleanse the palate when eating rich, fatty foods, which will help bring out the flavors of the proteins and truffle.
- Filet Mignon
- Arugula salad with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
- Truffle Risotto
- Paired with a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Filet mignon has the right amount of fat in it so that the full flavor of the truffle risotto will be brought out, but it won’t make the meal too rich. With its trim and neat cut, the elegance of the filet mignon will look beautiful either next to, or on a bed of, the creamy truffle risotto.
To complete the meal, serve the dish with a small side of arugula with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. The arugula will provide a fresh, clean bite, while the Parmigiano’s rich taste will further bring out the flavor of the truffle risotto.
To drink, we recommend a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. This wine has high acidity, therefore it pairs well with savory, rich foods, like the filet and truffle risotto. Rich foods can coat the mouth, which makes it difficult for other flavors to come through, and wines that are higher in acidity cut through the richness. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is also high in tannins, which also have this same effect of cleansing the palate with every sip. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo can be found in most wine stores and is modestly priced ($10.00-$50.00).
- Roasted Chicken
- Caramelized Herb Roasted Carrots
- Truffle Risotto
- Paired with a Cesanese del Piglio
For meat lovers who avoid red meat, we recommend serving your truffle risotto with roasted chicken. Roasted chicken creates a rustic meal, which goes nicely with the earthy flavor of the truffle risotto. Furthermore, the fatty skin of the chicken will help to further bring out the risotto’s flavor.
A side dish of caramelized and herb-roasted carrots will make the meal truly rustic. Sweet and savory, the carrots will provide a balance to the richness of the chicken and truffle risotto.
Serve this roasted chicken, carrots, and truffle risotto dish with a nice Cesanese del Piglio. It is a well-balanced, ruby-red Italian wine with moderate acidity, which is perfect for cleansing the palate while enjoying rich foods. It is also an excellent pairing for rustic meals. Most wine stores carry Cesanese del Piglio, and the wine is moderately priced ($20.00-$50.00).
Altogether, this meal will make you feel like you are eating in the Tuscan countryside.
- Poached Eggs with Truffle Sauce and Truffle Shavings
- Baked Asparagus
- Truffle Risotto
- Paired with a Barbaresco
It is possible to create a vegetarian meal that goes well with truffle risotto. For this, we suggest poached eggs. Poaching is one of the healthiest ways to prepare eggs, which cooks the white outside but leaves the yolk creamy. The fattiness of the egg yolk helps to enhance the truffle risotto, and the rustic preparation of the poached egg pairs well with the risotto’s earthy flavor. To further bring out the taste of the truffle, you can drizzle truffle sauce and sprinkle truffle shavings on the poached eggs (truffle sauce and shavings both come with our Truffle Risotto Kit).
Another side to complete this meal is baked asparagus. It is an elegant vegetable that will look lovely alongside the poached eggs and truffle risotto. If you add a squeeze of lemon to it, it will give the asparagus an acidic bite that cleanses the palate and lets the richness of the truffle risotto shine through.
The wine we recommend with this meal is a Barbaresco. The Barbaresco is a medium-bodied red wine with layers of fruit, acidity, and tannins. Its bouquet is of cherries, roses, and dark spices and on the palate, is has notes of tart berries, vanilla, and truffle. Its acidity and hint of truffle make it a great pairing for this dish. Barbaresco should be easy to find at most online wine retailers, and its cost typically ranges from $30.00 - $80.00 a bottle.
We hope these truffle risotto meal options make for nice dinners with your family, friends, or even solo, settled in front of Netflix with a nice glass of wine. For more foodie inspiration, check out our Inspiration Blog or peruse all our products, specially selected from the most passionate artisans across Italy.
