Speck and Artichoke Risotto

Name: Speck and Artichoke Risotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock; 50 g butter; 1 medium onion (finely diced); 2 sprigs sprigs rosemary (leaves finely chopped); 100 g speck (pancetta or bacon); 200 g arborio rice; 125 ml white wine; 320 g jar of artichoke hearts in oil (drained and chopped); 50 g Parmesan (finely grated, plus extra for serving); sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Risotto con carciofi e speck or Speck and Artichoke Risotto is one of the most delicious flavours of Italian risotto. Warm and comforting, this is a fabulous dish just by itself, or as a primi or first course of an Italian-inspired feast.

Jay Wadams
20th August 2022
2 Comments

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The Italians definitely know what they are about when it comes to comfort food and a big plate of deliciously creamy risotto is always welcome at any time of year.

My recipe for Speck and Artichoke Risotto or risotto con carciofi e speck is super simple to prepare and full of classic Italian flavour.

Table of Contents

Is risotto difficult to make?

For some unknown reason, risotto has a bit of a bad reputation as being difficult to make. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you can lift a pan and stir a spoon you can make risotto.

Risotto is all about the rice.

For perfectly textured, soft and creamy risotto you need to be using the right kind of rice. Risotto is made with short-grained arborio rice, named after the town of Arborio in Piedmont. The short grains are high in starch and cook up to be deliciously creamy and chewy.

Can I use other types of rice?

You can, but for best results stick to arborio rice. In saying that, I’ve had great results with sushi rice and German-style Milchreis – or the sort of rice you’d use to make rice pudding. These types of rice have one thing in common, they are all short-grain rice varieties, so if you are looking to substitute, be sure to use short-grain rice. Basmati or similar is not suitable.

flavouring

Risotto is a fabulously blank canvas when it comes to flavour. It is incredibly tasty just as it is, provided you’re using a good quality Parmesan style cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, but it is over-the-top good when paired with some extra flavourings.

I’m a massive fan of Butternut Squash Risotto, or Lemon and Asparagus Risotto in the springtime, but at this time of year, I am all about Speck and Artichoke Risotto.

What is Speck?

Speck is a type of cured ham, similar to prosciutto. In this recipe, you can substitute it with prosciutto, pancetta, or even thinly sliced bacon. Anything sweet, salty and porky will do!

Aren’t artichokes a springtime vegetable?

They sure are. There is nothing quite like seeing a beautiful field of pale green artichokes after a cold, grey winter. In this recipe, I use whole artichoke hearts from the jar.

This is a great time saver as somebody has already done all the hard work of preparing the artichokes! If you happen to be lucky enough to have some fresh artichokes, you’ll need to boil them up and remove the fluffy ‘choke’ in the centre to make Speck and Artichoke Risotto.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make risotto in advance?

While the purists (and most Italians) would say no, risotto can be reheated very well. If you have leftover risotto you can make arancini, or stuffed, breadcrumb coated and deep-fried rice balls – yum!

I don’t drink wine. Can I leave it out of this recipe?

Of course. I always like to replace wine with something a little acidic, so perhaps a teaspoon or two of vinegar dissolved in water, or some thinned out orange juice for flavour.

What can I use instead of speck?

Pancetta, prosciutto, bacon or smoked ham will all work in this recipe.

Can you reheat Risotto?

Yes! It is easy to reheat risotto and perfectly delicious. I use two different methods, on the stove top and in the oven.

Method 1 (Stovetop): Loosen the risotto with a few tablespoons of water and heat through, stirring occasionally over a low heat. This method produces a creamier risotto.

Method 2 (Oven): Transfer the risotto to an oven-proof dish, sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of water and cover tightly with foil. Bake in an oven at 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4 for 20-30 minutes until warmed through.

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Jay Wadams

Jay Wadams is a cookbook author, food photographer and Le Cordon Bleu Gastronomy and Nutrition graduate. Based in Italy 🇮🇹 Germany 🇩🇪 and Australia 🇦🇺.

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