Broccoli Risotto with Bacon and Parmesan
The right balance between the green and the indulgent: creamy risotto with crisp bacon and Parmesan.
Two things make it taste like a restaurant. The stock goes in hot and a ladleful at a time — cold stock stops the cooking each time and the grain releases its starch unevenly. And the mantecatura: cold butter and Parmesan beaten in vigorously off the heat, which is what emulsifies everything into that silky finish.
The broccoli goes in already cooked, right at the end. Cooked along with the rice for twenty minutes it would fall apart.
Ingredients
- 350 g risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
- 200 g bacon, cut into thin strips
- 2 small heads of broccoli, florets only, cooked in advance
- 200 g grated Parmesan
- 2 l hot beef or chicken stock
- 6 shallots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 tbsp butter (1 for the start, 3 cold for the finish)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- 1
In a wide pot, cook the shallots in the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter together with the bacon and the garlic, until the vegetables are translucent.
- 2
Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains are sealed and glossy.
- 3
Add the hot stock gradually, one ladleful at a time. Wait until the liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding the next, keeping a gentle simmer and stirring often.
- 4
When the rice is al dente, take it off the heat. Add the remaining cold butter, the cooked broccoli florets and the Parmesan.
- 5
Mantecatura: beat vigorously to emulsify everything into the characteristic creaminess. Season and serve immediately.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Two versatile, forgiving vegetables that earn a fixed place in the weekly menu. In many dishes you can swap one for the other without changing anything else.
