A Northern Italian Dish with a French Twist

Risotto with Pate

They say curiosity killed the cat… but when it comes to learning about foods and cultures and their origins… curiosity leads to being deliciously well fed. Italian food is the gift that keeps on giving. The distinct regions of the country mean that Italian food in the North is completely different than what’s found down South. One of the reasons for the Series I do on Italian food served in the home, is to highlight the dishes that we can’t get over here in the States. I love to deep dive into the different regions and learn about how their recipes are influenced from their location. This dish, for example, is influenced by France. I can’t imagine finding a dish like this down south in somewhere like Puglia or Naples.

One of my followers actually told me about this dish. I tried to research it online and find examples of it… and actually LOVED that I couldn’t find a single recipe. Nothing similar to what she sent me. I felt like I was in on the secret. She told me that they eat this during the Christmas season and that it’s a fairly popular dish where her family lives in northern Italy.

So the secret is out. Why this delectable combo hasn’t been served in high end Italian restaurants before is beyond me. It just makes so much sense.

I love risotto because it’s easily made for 1 as it is for 6. I made this for my lunch today on a cold (relatively speaking of course) day in southern California.

Also there was quite a bit of confusion online when I posted this. Yes it’s a standard risotto and the way I make risotto is nothing new or revolutionary. I had simply never seen the combo of risotto and pate. It’s the pate that makes it unique.

This serves 2

Ingredients: