Roasted Anything & Bacon Risotto

I’m obsessed with risotto, roasted vegetables, bacon and wine (not necessarily in that order.)  Oh, and also, fresh parsley. I’m obsessed with other things too, but for the purposes of this post, let’s limited it to these five ingredients (recognising that “roasted vegetables” implies an infinite selection.)

Risotto is the blank canvass of cooking. It absorbs any delicious flavour you throw its way and converts it into a masterpiece. Risotto is willing to slip into the background and let the add-ons take center stage. Pasta is more egotistical, less willing to work with others. Choose Risotto.

RECIPE

1.5 cups finely chopped onion

4 cups of any roasted veggie (cauliflower, squash, parsnips…)

1.5 – 2 cups of Risotto

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

4-8 slices bacon

1/2-2/3 cups grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (chop by hand or it gets mushy)

1 bottle of cold white wine (1 cup to be used in cooking. NOTE: Canadians do not use beer as a substitute)

METHOD

(Admittedly, the method is long, but this is why you have the wine)

For “Roasted Anything Risotto” you first must decide what you want to roast. There are so many possibilities—butternut squash, parsnips (one of my personal favourites) cauliflower, garlic. Once you decide on the perfect combo (feel free to go solo too. Stick with squash only for example) peel (as necessary. Obviously you don’t peel cauliflower) and chop or separate  the vegetables into bitesize cubes or pieces (If your husband/partner is around try to make him/her do this as it’s hateful.)

Toss the veggies with olive oil, sea salt and pepper (maybe a dash of cayenne too)  lay them on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 375 until they are soft and brown. It’s pretty hard to “over-roast” in my opinion because the longer you roast vegetables the sweeter they seem to get and I like the brown yummy bits too.

Meanwhile thinly side 4-8 pieces of bacon. Four works fine for flavour, but if you are bacon crazed and can afford the extra fat, then go for 8.

Chop the onions

Drizzle some olive oil in a thick bottomed saucepan and dump the bacon in on medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or so and then add the chopped onions. Stir this around every now and then. While this cooks open a bottle of wine and have a glass to make sure it isn’t “off.”

Once the onion is soft and the bacon cooked, add 1.5- 2  cups of risotto and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Add a cup of wine and stir until absorbed (about 2 minutes)  scraping all the good bits off the bottom

Meanwhile, back on the stove you have another pot with 6 -8  cups of chicken stock simmering. This you can make or simply buy in those boxes at the grocery store. (Note: this is a two-pot meal. Make sure you have someone around to clean up the mess)

Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, (don’t turn it into a ball of glue) adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth).

Admittedly  risotto takes a while to cook (say 40 minutes) and absorb the liquid, so in order to keep yourself motivated, drink the rest of the wine. If your husband is peeling and chopping and cleaning up after you feel free to allow him a glass too, but since you’ve already had to sacrifice a cup for the risotto, don’t get crazy giving it all away.

By this point your roasted vegetables should be roasted. Take them out of the oven and stir into Risotto mixture along with the parmesan cheese and parsley. (note: oven-roasted cauliflower is so good it can be substituted for a bowl of popcorn at a movie.)

Spoon into a low wide-rimmed bowls and if there is any wine left, empty it into your glasses and enjoy!

(NOTE: your husband will be happy to clean up the risotto pot because the best part is the stuff that sticks to the bottom)

YUM!!