Pancetta, Sweet Potato and Sage Baked Risotto

Hi guys!


Today, I want to share one of my favorite dishes with you: Risotto. I love the texture and the versatility most. A lot of people seem to be scared, because of the things that are written about the preparation and texture. But let me get a few things straight: Yes, risotto normally takes a little work. Adding the broth a little at a time ensures that the starch is set free and the texture becomes nice and creamy. You should be standing by the stove at any time to make sure the risotto doesn't run dry. 


I have, thanks to Donna Hay, found another way to make risotto that involves way less work. I like that I can prepare it in five minutes and then let the oven do the rest of the work. Instead of standing by the stove stirring, let your oven work its magic and cook the risotto rice while you enjoy company or use your new-found free time any way you like. 


You can find the recipe on her website following this link: http://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/mains/pasta-rice/pancetta-sweet-potato-and-sage-baked-risotto


Here is how mine turned out:

It's a handful simple steps:


1) Preheat the oven, cut the sweet potato and sprinkle it with a little olive oil on a baking tray and cook in the oven.


2) Heat a frying pan and cook the pancetta until crispy. If you use a non-stick pan, you won't need any oil.


3) Melt the butter and cook the sage leaves until crispy.


4) In a baking dish, combine the rice and stock, cover with tin foil and put in the oven. 


5) Stir the sweet potato, pancetta and sage leaves through the cooked risotto.


I couldn't find any sage leaves, so the picture above shows the risotto without sage. The risotto tastes very nice because of the different flavors (sweetness from the potato, saltiness for the pancetta) and the different textures of creamy and crispy bits. It's really ready to eat in no time, as you are actively preparing things for 5, 10 minutes if you are cutting the sweet potato a bit slowly. I started with cutting the sweet potato, because it is the first step of the recipe, but you could just as well start the risotto and put it in the oven first and cut and bake the sweet potato while your risotto is starting to cook already, because it takes less time.


I love this recipe and it is really great for summertime as well, so it is going to be a new favorite of mine.


Have fun cooking and let me know how your efforts turn out!