The Best Green Pea Risotto With Bacon

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This fresh and delicious green pea risotto is a delicious spin on a classic parmesan risotto with the added touch of BACON! It’s super easy to make with a simple list of ingredients and makes a versatile side dish.

Overhead view of bacon and pea risotto served in a white bowl with a spoon.

Risotto has a reputation as being difficult to make with the cooking process being labor intensive, but nothing could be further from the truth! It takes a little time to make, yes, as risotto is stirred often. But it's not difficult unless you find stirring a pot difficult...

This spring pea risotto recipe includes an easy step by step process and plenty of tips to help you make the creamiest risotto with bacon and green peas! This is the perfect spring comfort food - the freshness of fresh spring peas mixed with the comfort of creamy risotto.

Serve this as a main meal alongside homemade pesto challah bread, or as a side dish to any spring meal like these sous vide lamb chops.

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

Jump to:

Why this spring pea risotto recipe works
What is risotto?
Risotto Ingredients
Ingredient substitutions and variations
Step by step instructions to Make Risotto
Expert tips for success
Common questions
More Classic Risotto Recipes
Recipe
💬 Comments

Why this spring pea risotto recipe works

It’s creamy without any cream thanks to the starchy short grain arborio rice and added parmesan cheese.
The rice and aromatics are cooked in bacon fat before the liquid is added for an extra umami bacon flavor!
You can enjoy this fresh pea risotto as a main dish or serve it as a side dish.
It's garnished with fresh lemon juice and/or lemon zest to add brightness to the risotto.

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What is risotto?

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

Risotto Ingredients

Ingredients to make bacon and pea risotto arranged individually and labeled.

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

The high starch content of arborio rice (a short grain rice) is essential for risotto’s creamy texture. Long-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, will not work in this recipe.

A dry white wine, or un-sweet white wine, is used to make risotto. Try a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc and avoid cooking wines.

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.

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

Nutty 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.

Ingredient substitutions and variations

Arborio rice: Substitute any short grain white rice if needed (like bomba, sushi, carnaroli rice).
White wine: Substitute chicken or vegetable broth for the wine if needed.
Chicken stock: Substitute vegetable stock to make this vegetarian. You can also substitute turkey bone broth or beef bone broth.
Parmesan cheese: Substitute another hard cheese such as gruyere, Romano or asiago.
Bacon: Substitute pancetta or omit to make vegetarian risotto.

Step by step instructions to Make Risotto

Onion and garlic cooking in bacon fat in a Dutch oven on the stovetop. — **Step 1**: Heat the bacon fat over medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened and starting to brown slightly.

Rice being toasted with the garlic and onions in a Dutch oven. — **Step 2**: Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon.

Rice in a Dutch oven being stirred with a wooden spoon. — **Step 4:** Continue adding stock ½ cup at a time until **all the stock** (except the last ½ cup) has been added and completely absorbed.

Step 5: Add the peas, salt and pepper, and add the last ½ cup of stock. Remove from heat.

Step 6: Stir in the bacon and grated parmesan cheese and serve. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lemon zest (optional). Taste the risotto and season with salt as needed.

Risotto being stirred around in a Dutch oven with a wooden spoon.

For extra depth of flavor and a vibrant green color, top with a drizzle of mint chimichurri! The mint complements the peas extremely well and cuts the richness of the risotto while adding a beautiful bright green color for spring.

Risotto with peas and crispy bacon served in a white bowl on a grey napkin.

Expert tips for success

Make sure your stock is warmed before adding it to the rice. Warmed liquid helps the starches release from the rice which leads to creamy risotto.
When adding the stock, do so half a cup at a time to give the rice time to absorb it. If you add it all at once, it may end up mushy.
If using fresh peas, quickly blanch the peas in boiling water before using them.
Don’t leave the risotto cooking on high heat. Stirring it often over medium-low heat will ensure the risotto doesn’t burn or cook too quickly.
Pea risotto is best served immediately. While you can store and reheat leftovers, I prefer to use leftovers in these risotto cakes.

Common questions

Can you make this recipe vegetarian?

While I think the addition of bacon is what makes this recipe stand out, if you’d like to make it vegetarian, you can use butter instead of bacon fat, leave out the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Or, you can try this lemon asparagus risotto, which is vegetarian with a vegan option!

What is the secret to risotto?

The secret to making perfect risotto is patience. Slowly adding stock and letting it absorb before adding more, all while stirring regularly takes patience. It also helps to use warm stock as it helps bring the starchiness out of the rice.

How to store and reheat leftover spring pea risotto?

For the best texture, I recommend serving pea 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.

45 degree view of pea and bacon risotto in a bowl.

More Classic Risotto Recipes

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