As you know know by now, risotto (the pasta of the rice world) is reason enough to get an Instant Pot. Gone are the days of babysitting it on the stove. When done in the IP, it’s done to completely independent perfection, not to mention creamier and richer than ever.
So as I was rummaging through my cupboards playing a game of MacGyver dinner, I found some arborio rice, pancetta, shallots, scallions and sun-dried tomatoes. I immediately knew what my next recipe was going to be.
Folks, I introduce to you Bacon Tomato Risotto. And it is absolutely beyond your wildest risotto dreams.
Here’s How I Made It! (scroll to the bottom for the fully-written recipe!):
Start off with some shallots…
…and dice ’em.
Take some scallions…
…and slice ’em.
Take a jar of sun-dried tomatoes…
…and coarsely dice those up as well.
See the oil left in the jar? Waste not, want not! Reserve some!
Go to the Instant Pot and add in some butter…
…and the reserved sun-dried tomato oil. Give the pot heat.
Once melted…
…add in some pancetta or bacon.
Allow it to sauté for a few moments until cooked but not crisped.
Add in the shallots and sauté for a few…
…along with some garlic.
Now let’s have some fun. Add in some white wine…
…and as everything’s simmering in it, be sure to deglaze/scrape the bottom of the pot of any browned bits from the pancetta.
Now it’s time to add in arborio rice…
…and stir it around in the pot so it soaks up all the goodness.
Follow by adding in some broth…
…thyme, seasoned salt and pepper…
…and optionally, if you like some spice, some crushed red pepper flakes (a little goes a long way and you can always add more if you want to have an extra sassy evening).
Give everything a final stir, secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
When done, let’s put on the finishing touches. Add in some tomato paste…
…the sun-dried tomatoes and scallions…
…Parmesan…
…and stir.
In a matter of moments, it’ll come together beautifully.
If you want it a bit spicier, now’s the time to add in some hot sauce.
And if you want it creamier? Well, need you look any further than BAWSIN?! (that’s “Boursin” with a NY accent).
Give it all a final stir…
…and marvel at the perfection.
Plate it up, topping it with any desired garnishes.
Show it off…
…call a buddy over…
…give them a sample…
…and when they dance like this, you’ll know it was a success!
Easy, quick and DELECTABLE!
Instant Pot Bacon Tomato Risotto
Risotto just graduated to the next level when it's loaded with bacon and tomato. It's a gorgeous dish that will make for the perfect side.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
- 10-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, diced and with 2 tablespoons of the oil reserved
- 10 ounces pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced (you can use up to a pound if you want it extra bacon-y)
- 3-4 large shallots (about 1/2 pound), diced
- 3 cloves (1 tablespoon) garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc (if not using wine, add an additional 1/2 cup broth)
- 2 cups arborio rice (yes, it MUST be arborio rice for a risotto – no need to rinse it beforehand)
- 4 1/2 cups broth of your choice (I used 4 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Better Than Bouillon + 4 1/2 cups water)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced
- 6-ounce can tomato paste (you can halve this if you want it less tomatoey)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce (optional, for spice)
- 5.2-ounce package Boursin (any flavor) or spreadable herb cheese (optional, for a creamy finish)
Instructions
- Add the butter and oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to the Instant Pot. Hit Sauté and Adjust so it’s on the More or High setting. Once the butter’s heated, add in the pancetta/bacon and sauté for 4-5 minutes until lightly cooked (it shouldn’t get crispy). Then, add in the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes longer followed by the garlic for 1 minute more.
- Pour in the white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot, freeing it of any browned bits from when cooking the bacon (if you don’t wish to use wine, add in some broth now instead). Allow everything to simmer for 1 minute.
- Next, add in the risotto, stir until combined with the pot’s contents and sauté for another minute.
- Now, add the broth and the thyme, seasoned salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir well.
- Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, and hit Keep Warm/Cancel followed by Pressure Cook or Manual at high pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done.
- Stir in the tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, parmesan, hot sauce (if using) and Boursin (if using). Give everything a stir until well combined.
- Serve in bowls topped with extra Parmesan, scallions and even bacon bits, if desired.
Jeffrey's Tips
If you want at the end when serving, along with some additional Parmesan and scallions, shake on a few bacon bits as well!
If you don’t want it quite so tomato-based, only use half the can of the tomato paste.
You can make the flavor extra piggy-piggy oink-oink if you use ham broth for the broth.
Teddy
What size Instant Pot must be (or not be) used for this Bacon Tomato Risotto? In the future, will you please indicate in your recipes the Instant Pot sizes that can be used, or should not be used.
Thank you. Looking forward to making this dish today!
Nancy
If you use the ham broth leave out the salt and just add after to taste. Otherwise the ham broth plus salt might be too much. Ham broth is traditionally salty.
Allan
This is excellent, so much so that I made it 3x in a row! Seriously. Kudos Jeffrey.