Name: Spring Pea & Goat Cheese Risotto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 6 strips bacon; 4 cups vegetable stock; 2 tablespoons butter; 0.5 sweet onion; 5 sprigs fresh thyme; 1.5 cups risotto rice; 0.667 cup White Wine; 1 heaping cup peas; salt & pepper; 4 ounces goat cheese; 3 ounces parmesan

Cheese Risotto is the BEST way to enjoy risotto and this Spring Pea & Goat Cheese Risotto is creamy, delicious, and an amazing easy dinner! I read several risotto recipes with bacon in them and they had you cooking the bacon in with the rice. I tried that and, while it was okay, I MUCH prefer my bacon with a nice bit of a crunch to it. So, for this recipe, we’re going to bake (you could also fry) the bacon and then add it in at the last minute.

Dinner

30 m

Italian

Food with Feeling

May 4, 2026

Foodwithfeeling.com

From the Cook

1/8

Spring Pea & Goat Cheese Risotto

Food with Feeling Verified

Foodwithfeeling.com

Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Spring Pea & Goat Cheese Risotto

6 strips baconthickly cut

4 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons butter

½ sweet onionfinely chopped

5 sprigs fresh thymede-stemmed

1 ½ cups risotto rice

⅔ cup White Wine

1 heaping cup peascan be frozen

salt & pepperto taste

4 ounces goat cheesedivided

3 ounces parmesanfreshly grated

Instructions

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Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a foil lined baking tray, line up the bacon so that no 2 pieces are touching each other. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until at your desired crispiness. Once out of the oven, set aside to cool.

While the bacon is baking, you can begin the risotto.

In a medium saucepan, heat the stock so that its just warmed through and at a VERY minimal simmer. Keep on the heat until needed.

In a large pot, heat the butter until just melted and then add in the onion and thyme and cook until the onion is just translucent which is about 8 minutes.

Turning up the heat a bit, add in the risotto rice and let cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently to let the rice get to the point that it's almost frying and the rice becomes a bit translucent.

Add in the wine and stir to combine. Turn the heat back down to a gentle simmer.

Add in just one ladle full of the stock and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and let simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat this until all of the stock has been added. When you add in your last ladle full of stock, stir in the peas.

You can cook the risotto so that most/ all of the liquid has been absorbed OR you can stop cooking the risotto so that there's a decent amount of liquid remaining. I cook most of the liquid out of mine.

Once done, take off of the heat and stir in roughly 2/3 of the goat cheese and all of the parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and combined. Stir in a bit of freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Chop the bacon into bite size pieces and stir into the risotto. Reserving a bit of the bacon for topping if desired.

Serve and top each dish with the remaining goat cheese and any remaining bacon. ENJOY!!!

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Toast Your Rice First 🍚
Before adding any liquid, toast the risotto rice in butter for 1-2 minutes until slightly translucent at the edges—this seals the grain and creates a creamier texture while preventing mushiness.
Keep Stock Warm & Constant 🔥
Heat your vegetable stock in a separate pot and add it one ladle at a time only when the previous liquid is nearly absorbed; warm stock integrates better and cooks the rice more evenly than cold stock.
Crispy Bacon Strategy 🥓
Bake bacon at 400°F for 12-15 minutes on a lined sheet pan for perfectly consistent crispness that won't soften when folded into the warm risotto at the end.
Finish with Cold Butter & Cheese 🧈
Off heat, stir in cold butter and both cheeses vigorously for 30 seconds to create an emulsified, silky consistency—this technique, called 'mantecatura,' elevates the dish from good to restaurant-quality.
Fresh Peas at the Very End 🌱
Add fresh peas in the final minute of cooking to preserve their bright color, sweet flavor, and tender texture rather than letting them soften throughout the entire cooking process.