Risotto with Leeks and Pancetta

Risotto with leeks and pancetta is a rich and creamy main dish or side. Pair with a salad and you have a restaurant quality meal!

Risotto is one of my favorite things. I love the creaminess and also the slight “bite” of the arborio rice. I also love that you can add a myriad of different things to make it different every time. You can add protein or vegetables or both and make it more hearty. It can be your full meal. You can also just use the basic recipe to have it as a side dish. Click here for my recipe.

Risotto can feel scary to make, but I promise, you can do it! All it takes is a little patience to keep adding broth and stirring. I can tell you that the effort is worth it. This is comfort food at its finest! For this particular recipe, I added pancetta and leeks. It turned out so beautiful and so delicious.

Have you worked with leeks before? They are really easy to prepare and they have a beautiful flavor. Leeks are in the onion, chive, scallion family with a sweet oniony flavor, but a little less strong. You trim off the root, then all the green part and then thinly slice the remaining part. Once you’ve sliced them, put them in a bowl of cold water for a couple of minutes to clean them. Then drain them in a colander and they are ready to use.

You’ll need:

• 2 cups arborio rice (don’t substitute other kinds of rice)
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• About 3 oz diced pancetta (you can usually find this in the deli section of your store – near specialty cheeses)
• 1 leek (see above for how to prepare)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (may use chicken broth as well)
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1/4-1/2 c finely grated parmesan cheese, finely grated

Slice and clean the leek (see above for instructions if you haven’t worked with them before).

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter on medium high heat. When the butter is mostly melted, add the pancetta and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pancetta starts to brown and get a little crispy. Next, add the rice and stir it around for about 2 minutes, making sure to coat it in the oil and butter. It will start to have a slightly nutty aroma.

Now turn your heat to medium and add the wine. You can make it without the wine if you prefer. If so, just skip to the next step. But if you are using the wine, just stir it in until it is absorbed into the rice.

The next step is to add a ladle of broth (about 1/2 cup at a time) and stir it into the rice. When the liquid has mostly absorbed, add another ladle. Keep stirring and adding broth for 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese. You will end up with a creamy, yet “al dente” rice that is just perfection.

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Risotto with Leeks and Pancetta

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dinner – Italian

By Denise Palma – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 mins – Cooking Time: 30 mins – Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups Arborio rice (don't substitute other kinds of rice)
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• About 3 oz diced pancetta
• 1 leek
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 c dry white wine (you can omit this, but if you do, you will need a little more broth)
• 1/4-1/2 c finely grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1

Prepare the leek by cutting off the green stems and the root end. Slice what's left into thin slices, then soak in a bowl of water for 2-3 minutes. Drain.

2

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter on medium high heat.

3

Add the pancetta and leeks and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pancetta is starting to get a little brown and crispy.

4

Stir in the rice. You want to coat every grain in the oil and butter. Stir for 2-3 minutes. It will start to have a nutty aroma.

5

Add wine and stir until it is evaporated.

6

Reduce heat to medium.

7

Add 1/2 cup broth and stir until it is absorbed. Continue this process for 18-20 minutes.

8

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. It should be creamy and be cooked to "al dente".