Paniscia Novarese
A hearty Piedmontese rice dish from Novara simmered with borlotti beans, Savoy cabbage, cured pork salame and robust local red wine.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 610 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Stockpot
- •Ladle
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 74 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 21 g
- calories
- 610 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the broth, shredded Savoy cabbage, and diced carrot in a saucepan and simmer gently for fifteen minutes.
- 2
Melt the minced lardo in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat until the fat renders down.
- 3
Add the chopped onion and celery to the fat and cook until soft and translucent.
- 4
Crumble in the salam d'la duja and fry for two minutes until fragrant.
- 5
Add the rice and stir continuously for two minutes until the grains become glassy.
- 6
Pour in the red wine and bubble until the liquid is almost completely evaporated.
- 7
Add a ladle of the hot vegetable-infused broth and cabbage to the rice.
- 8
Continue adding the broth gradually as it absorbs, stirring regularly for twelve minutes.
- 9
Fold in the cooked borlotti beans and continue cooking until the rice is tender with a slight bite.
- 10
Remove the pan from the heat and rest for one minute.
- 11
Vigorously beat in the cold butter and grated Grana Padano until creamy and well combined.
- 12
Season with black pepper and serve immediately in warm shallow bowls.
Chef's tips
Unlike classic risotto, paniscia should be slightly soupy and relaxed (all'onda) with distinct tender vegetable texture. Use a robust Piedmontese red wine like Barbera for the traditional purple hue and savoury depth.
Ingredient substitutions
- salam d'la duja → fresh seasoned pork sausage mixed with a pinch of minced pork fat
- lardo → unsmoked pancetta or pure pork lard
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of hot broth or water to restore the creamy texture.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the cabbage separately and discarding the cooking water, which loses vital flavour for the rice.
- •Cooking the rice until mushy rather than retaining a distinct al dente bite.
- •Omitting the red wine, which provides the quintessential colour and acidity needed to balance the rich pork fat.
Serving suggestions
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