Have you ever stood over the stove stirring risotto rice? It can take up to 45 minutes of constant stirring and adding stock. Well, during a recent visit to England my cousin made a perfect risotto — without the fuss.
She happened to have some left over ham and her hubs LOVES peas, so it was a delicious ham and pea risotto topped with just the right amount of parmesan cheese. I was amazed when she told me that you just add the stock to the rice and let it cook, covered for 15-20 minutes. Easy peasy!

What is so wonderful about this recipe is that you can add whatever you like to make this dish your own. How about sauteed mushrooms, asparagus, proscuitto, bacon, or anything else that suits you and your family’s taste. You can even make it totally vegetarian by using vegetable stock.
I think I will try mushroom and shallot next time.
Easy Peasy Risotto (Bacon and Peas)
- August 20, 2019
- Print this
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 - 2 tablespoons of butter
- 6 strips bacon, chopped and cooked until slightly crisp
- 1 1/2 cups risotto rice (Arborio)
- 4 1/2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Step 1
- Finely chop onion
- Step 2
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter in a pan
- Step 3
- Add onion and cook until lightly browned (about 6-7 minutes)
- Step 4
- Add chopped bacon and fry for about 5 minutes until crisp
- Step 5
- Add rice and stock to pan and bring to a boil
- Step 6
- Stir well, and reduce heat to medium/low
- Step 7
- Cook covered for 15 – 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and creamy
- Step 8
- Stir in frozen peas, salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 3 minutes
- Step 9
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper