Bacon & Basil Pesto Risotto
with Greens & Parmesan
- Milk
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Soy
- May contain traces of allergens
Here's something new on the risotto front – a fabulously flavourful combo of smokey bacon and our traditional basil pesto. The risotto is baked in the oven too, leaving you free to relax and unwind while it cooks.
Ingredients
1 unit
brown onion
1 bag
green beans
2 clove
garlic
½ unit
lemon
2 packet
bacon
1 packet
arborio rice
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy)
2 cube
chicken stock
1 packet
grated Parmesan cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 tub
basil pesto
(Contains: Milk)
1 bag
baby spinach leaves
Not included in your delivery
tbs
olive oil
20 g
butter
(Contains: Milk)
2 cup
water
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Finely chop the brown onion. Trim the green beans and cut into 2cm pieces. Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Zest the lemon to get a pinch, then slice into wedges (see ingredients list). Roughly chop the bacon into 2cm pieces.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook, stirring, until the onion has softened and the bacon is starting to brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add the arborio rice to the pan and stir to coat. Add the water, lemon zest, crumble in the chicken stock cubes and bring to the boil.
Transfer the risotto mixture to a large baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Stir through a splash of water and the green beans and return to the oven. Bake until the liquid is absorbed, the green beans are tender and the rice is ‘al dente’, 5-8 minutes.
When the risotto is ready, stir through the grated Parmesan cheese, basil pesto, baby spinach leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the smoked bacon and basil pesto risotto between bowls. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on July 2026- Flavour: The bacon and basil pesto combo delivers bold, rich flavour, though some found the pesto or seasoning mix overpowering. A few reviewers noted the dish was too salty, largely due to the bacon, stock, and pesto combining — using less stock powder or only one pesto sachet helped balance things out.
- Ease of prep: Most found this straightforward and easy to put together, with the oven-bake method freeing up time while it cooks. A handful noted the rice occasionally needed a little extra time or water to cook through properly.
- Suggestions: Adding chicken, mushrooms, or chorizo was a popular way to bulk up the dish and add extra protein. Some preferred cooking the risotto on the cooktop in the traditional style, which also worked well. A few suggested using a splash of extra water at the end to loosen the texture, and one reviewer recommended using a generous squeeze of lemon juice rather than just a small amount for better acid balance.
- Leftovers: This dish reheats well and keeps nicely in the fridge, with many reviewers enjoying it for lunch the next day. Several noted the portions were very generous — enough to feed an extra person or stretch across multiple meals.
- Portions: Serving sizes were consistently praised as generous, with many households finding it easily fed more than the stated serves.
