• In a frying pan add Bacon and cook over medium heat until fully cooked 10-15 minutes
• Place cooked Bacon on paper towels to absorb the grease, let cool and chop into pieces
• Preheat 2 Tbs EVOO in a medium saucepan over medium heat
• When oil is shimmering add Shallot and sauté 1 minute
• Add Rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until toasted
• Add Holland House White Cooking Wine and cook until Wine is reduced or evaporated
• Add in ½ cup Vegetable Stock and stir (it’s important to keep stirring – see notes below)
• When Vegetable Stock starts to get evaporated (after about 5 minutes), add another ½ cup of Vegetable Stock
• Add in Salt, Pepper and stir
• Add ½ cup Vegetable Stock approximately every 5 minutes, stirring constantly (total cook time for the risotto is about 20 minutes)
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking add in the Bacon, Apple, and Gorgonzola
• Taste the rice and when you are 1 minute before reaching the right bite “al dente” (meaning rice should be tender but still firm to the bite), add Pecorino Romano and Butter
• Remove from heat and stir until creamy in texture
• Serve immediately
• Enjoy!

Notes:

• Make sure your Vegetable Stock stays hot. It’s important to add a little bit of the hot Vegetable Stock at a time so the rice is cooked slowly and the stock gets absorbed. This method releases the rice’s starches, producing a velvety, creamy dish.
• It’s very important to keep stirring the Risotto as it’s cooking, especially as the stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching.
• If you run out of Vegetable Stock and you find this is too dry at the end, you can add in a little hot water as a substitute.