Pea and Bacon Risotto

5 from 2 votes

Pea and bacon risotto is an easy one-pot recipe that delivers a creamy and comforting meal. It’s quick and simple to prepare – expect dinner on the table in around 40 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 655kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Onion small
1 Garlic clove
1 Celery stick
125 g Bacon smoked or unsmoked
150 g Risotto rice such as Arborio
60 ml White wine
2 teaspoons Mixed herbs dried
500 ml Stock (vegetable or chicken) Hot
50 g Spinach leaves about 2 handfuls
15 g Butter
30 g Parmesan cheese finely grated
160 g Frozen peas
⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions

Dice the onion & celery finely and mince the garlic.
Remove the rind from the bacon and cut it into small pieces using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
Pour the oil into the saucepan and fry the bacon, onion and celery for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the rice, black pepper and herbs. Let everything cook for several minutes, stirring.
Add the wine to the pan, stir and let the liquid evaporate.
Now add the stock, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition. You may not need all of it. After 20 minutes test the rice to see how well it is cooking. If it is still firm keep adding a bit more stock. If it feels almost ready then move on to the next step.
When the rice is almost cooked add a little more stock along with the peas. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Test the rice. It is ready when it feels al-dente (there’s still a little bite to the rice but it doesn’t feel firm or chewy).
Turn off the heat, add the spinach, grated Parmegiano-Reggiano and the butter. Stir briefly then cover the pan with a lid and let the risotto sit for 3-5 minutes.
Stir again then taste and add a little bit of salt if desired.
Serve immediately with a little grated parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

Notes

Risotto must be stirred frequently to help create that wonderful creamy texture and to stop the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Keep your stock hot to reduce the cooking time of this easy pea and bacon risotto. You can pour it into a pan and keep it on a low heat then add a ladleful at a time to the risotto.
Regular tasting will help you ascertain when the rice is cooked enough.
Add extra salt with caution. The bacon and parmesan cheese are both salty ingredients, so you may not need much, if any, additional salt. Taste it and adjust for your own taste preferences.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed 4 or 6 people respectively. Just make sure you select a pan big enough to handle the volume of ingredients.

Nutrition