Bacon and Pea Risotto

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This rich and creamy Bacon and Pea Risotto is a delicious spin on a classic parmesan risotto. It’s super easy to make with a simple list of ingredients and makes a versatile side dish! 

Risotto has a reputation as being difficult to make and labor intensive, but nothing could be further from the truth!

This risotto recipe includes an easy step by step process and plenty of tips to help you make the creamiest risotto with bacon and peas! 

In fact, all of the risotto recipes around here are relatively easy to make, like this pumpkin risotto, black truffle risotto, shrimp risotto and even this jambalaya risotto!

And, if you’re really serious about easy risotto, this sous vide risotto is completely hands off!

Before you try out these other risotto recipes, let’s make this crispy bacon and pea risotto!

Check out the bacon and pea risotto story!

Why this recipe works

1. It’s creamy without any cream thanks to the starchy arborio rice and some parmesan cheese.
2. The rice and aromatics are cooked in bacon fat before the liquid is added for an extra umami bacon flavor!
3. You can enjoy this risotto as a main dish or pair it with sous vide shrimp for a full meal!

What is risotto?

Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked with broth (and sometimes wine) until creamy. The key to achieving risotto’s thick and creamy consistency without adding cream is arborio rice, which is a high-starch, short-grain rice. The rice releases starch into the broth as it cooks, which creates the creamy texture. 

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 1 cup of arborio rice for this recipe. The starchiness of arborio rice is essential for risotto’s creamy texture. Long-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, will not work in this recipe. Even other short-grain rice will not work the same as arborio. 

White wine is often added to risotto for flavor, so we’re adding ½ cup of white wine to this recipe. Avoid cooking wines and go for a good quality white wine. If you prefer to leave out the wine, just use extra chicken stock.

Four cups of warmed chicken stock will gradually be added to the rice as it cooks. I like to use low sodium chicken broth so I can adjust the saltiness of the risotto by adding salt myself. You can also use homemade broth like this crockpot chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken bone broth.

For a rich bacon flavor, I prefer to cook the onions, garlic and rice in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat, but you can use butter or oil if you prefer.

The bacon is added to the risotto at the end, so you’ll want your bacon pieces cooked and crumbled beforehand.

The peas add a pop of color and pair well with the creamy texture of the risotto. I used canned peas, but you can also use fresh or frozen. Just make sure they’re cooked/warmed first.

Parmesan cheese adds a salty and nutty flavor and extra creaminess. For the best texture, stir it in at the end along with the bacon.

Step by step instructions

Heat the bacon fat over medium heat and add the onions and garlic.

Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened and starting to brown slightly.

Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the white wine and cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed.

Add ½ cup chicken stock and cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed.

Continue until all the chicken stock has been added.

Stir in the salt, pepper and peas when adding the last ½ cup of stock.

Stir in the bacon and parmesan cheese and serve.

Expert tips

1. Make sure your chicken stock is warmed before adding it to the rice. Warmed stock helps the starches release from the rice which leads to creamy risotto.
2. When adding the stock, do so half a cup at a time to give the rice time to absorb the stock. If you add it all at once, the risotto may end up mushy.
3. Don’t leave the risotto cooking on high heat. Stirring it often over medium heat will ensure the risotto doesn’t burn.
4. Instead of parmesan cheese, you can substitute another hard cheese such as gruyere, romano or asiago.
5. Instead of cooked and crumbled bacon, try adding some crispy pancetta.
6. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, slow cooker beef bone broth or Instant Pot turkey bone broth.
7. Risotto is best served immediately. While you can store and reheat leftovers, I prefer to use leftover risotto in these crispy fried risotto cakes.

Common questions

Storage and reheating

For the best texture, I recommend serving risotto immediately after it is cooked. If you have leftover risotto, you can store it covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

To reheat leftover risotto, place it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat and add a little broth to keep the risotto creamy. Stir until it is warmed through. 

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!