The bacon added to the risotto is worth the craving!
I really love risotto. I try to stay away from carbs, but risotto is my weakness. I don’t make pasta dishes very often, but when I do I make the calories worthwhile. I made this risotto dish for Scott’s birthday and it did not disappoint. Originally, I wanted to make this with pancetta, ie: Italian bacon, but couldn’t find any at the store so I settled for plain old American bacon.
I added the grilled asparagus because I wanted a crisp, green contrast to the bacon. Grilling the asparagus added a nice smokiness as well. Bacon and asparagus have always been a good flavor combo for me- check out my grilled bacon wrapped asparagus recipe. Any other green veggie like baby arugula or watercress would be great as well. This risotto has a generous amount of butter, bacon and even cream cheese so when I say this is a guilty pleasure, I mean it! Go big or go home! ~ Grill Grrrl
Many people think risotto is a pasta, but it's actually a rice dish using arborio rice - naturally creamy and oh-so tasty!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked arborio rice (Italian style rice)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used Vidalia- they are in season right now and are sweeter, more mellow than regular white onions)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 5 slices thick cut bacon
- 1/2 lb asparagus (inedible parts removed)
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese
- Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grill the asparagus until char marks form. Cook bacon until crispy. (I grilled the bacon in a skillet on the grill but this can be done wherever it makes sense for you).
- Next, chop the asparagus stalks and bacon into small pieces. Reserve 1/4 cup of chopped bacon for garnish. Mix in the asparagus, bacon and cream cheese. When serving, garnish on the top with remaining bacon.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
The cream cheese adds even more creaminess to the recipe and cuts the saltiness of the bacon.
This recipe developed for Char-Broil LIVE! By GrillGrrrl.com
