Risotto, what goodness! And this recipe with leeks and pancetta is sublime. The sweet tasting leeks and the crisp flavor of the pancetta will send you into ecstasy. Add diced cooked ham and your taste buds make merry. This first course is not difficult at all.

Even beginners with risotto can have good results. The important thing is to have a good vegetable stock with which to cook the risotto and to choose the raw materials with care. Prepare this risotto for Sunday lunch, or even for a romantic dinner.

The Recipe:

First prepare the vegetable stock. You can use a broth cube or you can boil two onions, three celery stalks, 2 bay leaves, a clove of unpeeled garlic and two carrots. Let the stock boil for over an hour. Then remove the vegetables and salt to taste. In a rather large frying pan sauté the leek, sliced into thin rounds, and the diced cooked ham with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

Fry over low heat and when the leek and the ham are well browned add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes. Then simmer with the white wine and, as soon as it has dried, cook the risotto by basting it with the broth, adding it a bit at a time until cooking is finished. Cook the pancetta until it is crisp in a non-stick pan before the risotto is completely cooked.

Two slices are necessary per serving. Stir together with a knob of butter and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve garnished with pancetta.