Best Leek Risotto With Sugar Snap Peas And Pancetta Recipes

SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH LEEKS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until the peas cool to room temperature; pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the leek, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the leek is soft, about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the peas and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss. Add the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss again. Serve at room temperature. Tip: Snap peas have tough strings on both sides of the pod. To remove them, pinch off the stem and pull the string; repeat on the other side.
• Serves: 6
• Calories: 113
• Total Fat: 5.5 grams
• Saturated Fat: 1 gram
• Protein: 5 grams
• Total carbohydrates: 11 grams
• Sugar: 5 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Cholesterol: 8 milligrams
• Sodium: 290 milligrams

PANCETTA AND LEEK RISOTTO FOR TWO

Steps:

• Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and keep warm while you make the risotto.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat from the saucepan, then add the garlic, leek, a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is tender and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice, butter and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until the rice is toasted, smells nutty and turns a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is completely absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Ladle 1/2 cup of the warm stock into the rice and cook, stirring gently without stopping, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, 2 to 3 minutes (you will know it's time to add more stock when you move the rice aside and no liquid pools in the center). Repeat this process, adding more stock a ladleful at a time, until the rice is al dente, 15 to 17 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
• Stir in the baby spinach, Parmesan, half of the reserved pancetta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Stir until the spinach is wilted and everything is evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon into 2 dinner bowls and top with the remaining pancetta and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

LEEK RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, lidded frying pan or heavy-based saucepan set over a medium heat. Tip in the 80g leeks and fry for 5-8 mins until golden, to create a straw-like appearance. Remove from the pan, leaving the oil behind, and set aside. (You could skip this step and simply slice all the leeks to add in step 2, but the strips make a nice garnish to top the risotto.)
• Drizzle the remaining oil into the pan over a low-medium heat and add 25g of the butter, stirring until the butter has melted. Tip in the celery, carrots and sliced leek. Stir well, then reduce the heat to low and put the lid on. Fry for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally until the celery, carrots and leeks have softened. Add the rice and stir to coat in the buttery veg, then turn the heat up to medium and cook for 2 mins until the rice turns translucent. Pour in the white wine, stir and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Season well.
• Add in a ladleful of the hot stock and stir until it has been completely absorbed. Pour in another ladleful, stir again while the rice absorbs it, and repeat until all the stock has been used up and the rice is al dente - this should take about 20 mins. If you run out of stock, you can either make up a little more or use boiling water from the kettle. Remove from the heat and mix in the cheese and remaining butter. Ladle into bowls or onto plates, grate over some extra parmesan, and scatter over the fried leek strips. Serve straightaway.