Fennel, pea and bacon risotto
- Published: 24 Aug 17
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
Everyone needs a great risotto recipe in their weeknight dinner repertoire. We’ve added smoked bacon, fennel and peas to this easy Italian dish.
Or indulge in our seriously gooey goat’s cheese risotto – it makes an excellent dinner party main.
Ingredients
- Oil for frying
- 200g smoked bacon lardons
- 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 300g arborio rice
- 150ml dry white wine
- 1.2 litres hot chicken stock
- 200g fresh or frozen peas
- Juice 1 lemon
- 50g parmesan, grated
To serve
- Chopped fresh mint (optional)
Method
- Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan and add the bacon lardons. Fry for 2-3 minutes on a high heat until starting to colour. Add the fennel and leeks and fry for 5-8 minutes more until they’re starting to soften.
- Stir in the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes until it turns translucent. Pour in the wine and bubble for 1-2 minutes until it has nearly all evaporated. Start adding the chicken stock, a little at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed into the rice before adding more stock.
- Keep cooking and stirring the risotto, adding stock as needed. Once all the stock has been added, simmer until the rice is tender (about 30 minutes).
- When the rice is almost done, stir in the peas and lemon juice, then simmer for a few minutes to heat up/cook the peas. Stir in most of the parmesan.
- Serve the risotto in warmed bowls, scattered with a handful of chopped mint (if you like) and the remaining parmesan.
- Recipe from July 2017 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 606kcals
- Fat
- 21.3g (7.2g saturated)
- Protein
- 22.5g
- Carbohydrates
- 70.4g (4.4g sugars)
- Fibre
- 7.8g
- Salt
- 2.6g
delicious. tips
Swap the bacon for sun-dried tomatoes and use vegetable stock and a vegetarian grating cheese.
Buy ingredients online
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