That Jessica is a genius. And she’s from Pittsburgh, which automatically earns her extra points.
This was very, very tasty! We’ll definitely make it again, and it was relatively quick to toss together.
And any excuse to eat risotto is okay in my book. I love the stuff!
Shrimp and Bacon Risotto
Shrimp and Bacon Risotto
serves 3-4
1 cup arborio rice
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup dry white wine (I omitted)
2 cups chicken stock + more if needed
1 clove garlic, minced (I added 3 cloves…I love garlic)
6 ounces cooked shrimp (aka whatever was left in the bag for us…maybe… 30 shrimp?)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Chop bacon slices and add to pan, frying until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel, leaving bacon drippings in pan. Measure one cup of rice and add to pan, along with minced garlic. Stir to toast rice, about 2-3 minutes.
Pour in one cup of white wine chicken broth and turn heat down to a simmer, and allow rice to soak it up. Add chicken stock one cup at a time, allowing rice to absorb it. The easy way for me to do risotto is to pour enough liquid in so it is about 1/4 inch above the rice, let it absorb, then taste it for doneness. If it is not soft, add another 1/2-1 cup.
Stir in shrimp (I sauteed my shrimp in a little butter, 2 cloves of garlic, a splash of lemon and a splash of chicken broth for a few minutes while the risotto was cooking) and fold in bacon, reserving a few pieces for garnish. Stir in parsley. Serve immediately.
**I actually made my bacon in advance and had pulled it out of the freezer already cooked, so I used a little olive oil to get things toasted and going with the risotto. It was still delicious. Jessica used precooked shrimp and that’s a shortcut you could take as well.
