Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Bacon Risotto
This deeply flavored, super-savory risotto is one of our favorites. It takes longer than some of our other risottos because of the caramelized onions, but you can make them up to a couple of days in advance if you like.
Servings: 6
Calories: 537kcal
Ingredients
- ½ batch caramelized onions
- 10 ounces (283 grams) thick-cut bacon
- 1 ½ cups (270 grams) arborio rice
- ½ cup (118 ml) dry white wine you like to drink
- 6 cups 1(440 ml) chicken stock
- 8 ounces (227 grams) baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- ½ cup (60 grams) grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the caramelized onions. You can do this step up to a week in advance if you like and store onions in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, dice bacon and place in another large frying pan . Cook over medium heat until just crispy, then remove bacon from pan and set aside. Pour off most of the bacon grease from the pan, leaving two tablespoons.
- To the pan with the bacon grease, add the rice and stir to coat with fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about two minutes, until some of the rice grains are translucent.
- Raise heat to medium-high. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed.
- Add chicken stock, about a cup at a time, and stir frequently. Wait until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rest turned into a starchy-looking broth before adding the next ladle-full of stock.
- After the last addition of stock, continue to stir until the rice is tender, with a little chewy bite, and there is still some thick, glossy broth.
- Add the spinach along with the reserved bacon and caramelized onions and and stir for less than a minute, until spinach is just wilted.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for just a couple of minutes and serve in shallow bowls with extra grated cheese to pass at the table.
Notes
- Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain variety of rice. Its high starch content helps create the risotto's silky, creamy broth. And its superior quality means the grains retain their al dente bite amidst the creaminess. Alternatively, you can use carnaroli rice. It works similarly but has a slightly longer grain, higher starch content, and firmer texture.
- You can use any type of bacon, pancetta, or guanciale in this recipe. I tend to use a very thick cut of bacon. I like the smokiness of American bacon, the meatiness of a nice, thick cut, and the easy availability of bacon over the other choices. We tend to have it on hand regularly, which can make all the difference.
- Make the whole batch of caramelized onions and use the rest in other recipes. They keep well in the fridge for a long time.
- The key to perfectly creamy risotto where the rice retains a bit of gentle bite is to quit while you're ahead. Adding the broth about a cup at a time, and keeping the heat at a brisk simmer, gives you plenty of control. After the last addition of broth, give everything a quick stir and then add the spinach while there's still plenty of liquid broth. By the time the spinach is wilted, the consistency should be perfect.
- Risotto is best shortly after it's made, so don't make it in advance in its entirety. You can, however, cook do a lot of the work ahead of time. Keep the caramelized onions in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to a year. Cook the bacon in advance if you like, reserving two tablespoons of the rendered fat for cooking the rice. You can even partially cook the risotto itself earlier in the day. Take it all the way through Step 5, but reserve two cups of stock to add later. Then, 20 to 30 minutes before serving time, flick the heat back on, stir in remaining stock, one cup at a time, and follow the rest of the instructions.
Nutrition
Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.1g | Protein: 15.2g | Fat: 28.1g | Fiber: 2.7g