Baked Risotto with Bacon and Peas

This one is adapted from Donna Hay's The Instant Cook

Serves 4


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 strips bacon, chopped
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch of spinach
• 300g pumpkin
• 100g feta cheese
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 390-degrees F
2. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add the oil, bacon, leeks and thyme
3. Cook for 5 minutes or until the leeks are lightly browned
4. Spoon the mixture into a 10-cup capacity ovenproof dish.
5. Add the rice, pumpkin and stock and stir.
6. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Add the peas, re-cover, and cook for a further 10 minutes 
8. Remove the risotto from the oven; add the parmesan, spinach, salt and pepper and stir for 4 minutes or until the risotto has thickened. Crumble the feta over the top
9. To serve, place the risotto in bowls.

Often I will omit the peas if I am including spinach.