Fava Bean Risotto with Pancetta and Kale

It's been a while since my last visit to the Chelsea Market, so I moseyed on over to see if there was anything new to try. One of my favorite stores in the market is the Manhattan Fruit Exchange, and it did not disappoint: I ended up with a few pounds of fresh fava beans. Another trip to Buon Italia yielded some pancetta. What's a girl to do but make risotto?

Fava Bean Risotto with Pancetta and Kale

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 oz thinly sliced pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
two handfuls thinly sliced kale
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium leek, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
2 cups shelled fresh fava beans
3/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, heat the broth to a bare simmer and keep it at that temperature. Do not let it boil.

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and toss in the pancetta, cooking until crisp. Remove from pan and toss in the kale. Add oil and/or water if necessary, and saute kale until wilted and tender. Set aside.

In another saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat and saute the leek, onion, carrots, and garlic until tender. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring constantly until broth has been completely absorbed. Continue adding the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before the next addition.

After the last addition of broth, stir in the fava beans, kale, and salt. Sprinkle with pancetta before serving.