Risi e Bisi with Pancetta: A Quick and Easy Recipe
Risi e bisi with pancetta is one of the quickest and tastiest dishes that saves the day when you’re short on time or need to please different tastes at the table. It’s light, creamy, and flavourful all at once: perfect if someone is trying to eat lighter, another person doesn’t want pasta, and you want to offer something quick but delicious.
The secret to the flavour lies in the golden pancetta: I brown it until it forms a crust that releases its rustic aromas, making the dish irresistible.
A huge advantage of this recipe is the use of frozen peas. Always on hand in the fridge and, if cooked correctly, they remain very tender and ‘pop’ when bitten without becoming tough. The trick? Never start with cold water. The peas should only be added to already boiling water, directly from frozen, to maintain their texture and natural sweetness.
Throughout the preparation, I exclusively use extra virgin olive oil, both for the soffritto and to season the dish at the end of cooking: a thin drizzle adds flavour and maintains the creaminess of the rice.
How to prepare risi e bisi step-by-step
Risi e Bisi with Pancetta: Creamy and Flavourful
Ingredients
Instructions
To prepare the risi e bisi, finely chop the onion and brown it in a pan with the pancetta and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. When the soffritto is fragrant, add the rice and toast it for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning.
Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Add the still-frozen peas and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
During the last few minutes of cooking, any excess water will evaporate and the consistency will become creamier, leaving just a slight amount of liquid. Season with salt, add Parmesan cheese to taste, and serve the risi e bisi piping hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
How to customise
If you want to change things up, you can substitute the pancetta with:
- diced and browned speck
- crumbled sausage browned in the same way
All alternatives keep the dish rich in flavour without making it too heavy.
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Answers to the most common questions about risi e bisi
Certainly! In spring, it’s ideal to use fresh peas, as they give a more intense flavour and a bright green colour to the dish. The only thing to remember is to cook them starting with already boiling water, just like frozen peas, to maintain the perfect texture and make them ‘pop’ when bitten.
Yes, that’s perfectly fine! You can use chicken (especially thigh meat, which has a bit of fat) or crumbled sausage. The important thing is to brown the meat well before adding the rice, so it releases all the rustic flavour needed for the dish.
You don’t need cream: this dish becomes creamy naturally thanks to the starch in the rice (like Arborio or Carnaroli). By cooking and stirring gently, the starch is released and coats the peas and pancetta, creating a soft and velvety texture.
Certainly! After it cools down, risi e bisi tends to become thicker. To ‘revive’ it, simply add a small shot glass of water while reheating and stir gently until it’s warm and creamy again.
