Classic asparagus risotto made with arborio rice, shallots, broth, fresh asparagus and Parmesan cheese.
In California, winter can turn into spring in a flash. It seems like we were hit by cool storms yesterday while the forecast for this week is all sunny and 70’s.
Daffodils are in bloom, as are cherry trees, and asparagus, the truest test of spring, can be found on the market for less than $2 a pound.
I just couldn’t resist these at the market today and used them to cook a creamy risotto. This recipe is a classic asparagus risotto recipe.
You can easily dress it up with some lemon zest, crab meat, green onions, truffle salt, fresh thyme or chopped mint.
We made this risotto on the loose side, which is why we serve it in a bowl. When preparing risotto, you can decide how fluffy you want it. Just stop adding liquid when the risotto has reached the desired consistency!
Asparagus risotto
If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth or water instead of the chicken broth.
ingredients
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above 4 cups chicken brothor vegetable broth for the vegetarian option
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2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
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1/2 Cup chopped shallots
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1 Cup arborio rice
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1/4 Cup dry white wineor 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water
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1/2 lb Asparagus, trimmed, tips cut off, tough spear skins peeled (in the case of thick apparatus spears) and the spears sliced thinly
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1/2 Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
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salt and pepper, taste
method
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Heat broth:
Heat the broth in a small saucepan until it is gently simmering.
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Boil shallots, add rice:
In a separate 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, a minute or two. Add the arborio rice and cook, stirring, for a further 2 minutes until nicely coated.
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Add wine:
Add the white wine. Stir slowly to allow the rice to absorb the wine.
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Add the broth, 1/2 cup each:
Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of hot broth to the rice. Continue stirring until liquid is almost completely absorbed and add more broth in 1/2 cup increments. Stir frequently so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Continue to cook and stir the rice, adding a little broth at a time, cooking and stirring until absorbed, until rice is tender but still al dente, about 20-25 minutes.
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Add asparagus:
Add the asparagus with the last ladleful of broth. Stir and cook a few minutes, until the risotto has absorbed the broth but is still fluffy and the asparagus is just cooked through.
Note that stock levels shown are approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more broth and don’t have any, just use water.
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Stir in the Parmesan, add the remaining butter, salt and pepper:
Turn off the heater. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 544 | calories |
| 17g | Fat |
| 75g | carbohydrates |
| 20g | protein |
