This week’s recipe is a riff on two Italian classics. Think of it as ‘risotto meets carbonara’.
Now let me start by saying that this recipe may be seen as something of a sin in the eyes of any Italians out there; and it could easily be argued that risotto and carbonara should never be intertwined. However, for those of you craving something rich, interesting and a little different, this may be the answer.
In today’s article I’ll walk you through how to carefully marry the two recipes together, so that you have the creamiest, silkiest risotto but with all the decadent flavours of a meaty, peppery carbonara. Think plenty of pecorino Romano, a heap of toasted black pepper, the crispiest guanciale and a super silky sauce coating each grain of rice.
This is comfort food turned up to an eleven on the scale. One word of warning here, this is quite a rich-tasting dish and after having tried it for the first time, my recommendation is that it’s best served as a small starter or side. The flavours are great, but it can be a lot as a main course. That being said, I’ll show you how to dial things up or down depending on preference.
Now then, let’s get into it.
What you need to know before you begin
Rice: There are two main types of risotto rice out there, however one reigns supreme for this dish. I’ll explain why you should be using it below.
Pork: Guanciale is the right cut of cured pork to use for this one, but if you can’t find it, there are some substitutes that work well too.
Stock: warm stock is essential. Make sure it’s ready and simmering before you start making the risotto.
Patience: Add your stock slowly and in stages for a perfectly creamy risotto every time. More on this later.
‘Mantecatura’: instead of the typical butter and parmesan for the final meld, we’ll use our rich carbonara base to infuse all the flavours and add richness.
Serves 2
