This flavorful asparagus risotto combines creamy arborio rice with parmesan cheese and lemon-roasted asparagus. A real crowd puller!
Creamy, delicious, crunchy and tangy: this asparagus risotto really is gorgeous. In other words, the best way to ring in spring! Alex and I are craving fresh flavors here, and this simple yet sophisticated dinner is the perfect antidote. Fry lemon asparagus while you prepare creamy risotto on the stovetop. Then throw the tender, light green asparagus into the risotto together with the lemon. You’ll wish the pot never ended (we certainly did!).
What is in the asparagus risotto?
You need a handful of simple ingredients to make this asparagus risotto. The flavors are clean and pure. Here’s what you need:
- Arborio white rice: an Italian short-grain rice used to make risotto
- asparagus
- Broth and dry white wine: Wine is the key to nuanced taste!
- lemon: Fresh lemon goes perfectly with asparagus
- Parmesan cheese: brings just the right salty notes
- Olive Oil, Butter, Onion, Garlic Powder: For seasoning
- Roasted pine nuts: dress everything up with this Italian stuffing (how to grill it)
The keys to risotto preparation
Making risotto is actually quite easy! It’s just a matter of slow cooking short grain rice with broth until it becomes exceptionally creamy. When Alex and I started cooking, I thought risotto was something that came out of a box labeled “risotto.” Turns out it’s just a special way of cooking Arborio rice.
- Use Arborio rice. Be sure to find short-grain Arborio white rice for this recipe. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores. This type of rice becomes fleshy when cooked with liquid.
- First heat the broth. Start with a hot broth (this recipe also uses water, so you don’t have to buy more than a liter). This helps cook right into the hot rice without lowering the temperature of the food.
- Add the hot broth 2 scoops at a time, stirring until incorporated. That’s all you have to do! Once the broth in the rice is cooked, add two more ladlefuls.
- Cook until creamy and al dente, then add the Parm. Continue cooking in this manner until the rice is creamy but still slightly al dente (with a little bite in the middle). This should take about 12 minutes. Then add the Parmesan and stir vigorously for 2 minutes.
How to cook asparagus: fry it!
While the risotto is bubbling, toast a pan of asparagus until tender. We love that these veggies add fiber to the risotto, making it heartier and more nutritious! How do you cook asparagus? Use the concept of our roasted asparagus. It’s that simple: about 10 minutes in a very hot oven will tenderize it perfectly. Here are some tips for the asparagus side of this risotto:
- Prepare and prep the pan while you prepare the risotto. You prep everything and prep your asparagus pan, then start the risotto. Because…
- Timed so that the asparagus ends like the risotto. When they come out of the oven, the asparagus will be perfectly green and tender. You should catch it right then so it’s at its brightest color when served. Overcooking gives the asparagus a dull green color.
- Leftovers lose their color in the asparagus: but still tasty! The asparagus takes on a yellow-green color in the leftovers. But they still taste wonderful: they just aren’t flashy to serve to guests.
Other ways to cook asparagus? Grill, sauté, boil or blanch.
To do what The Asparagus risotto
This risotto is the absolutely perfect springtime recipe, packed with fresh, tangy green flavors! Of course you can also serve it at any time of the year, you will find good asparagus. A few recipe testers tested this recipe for us: that’s what they say!
- “We made the asparagus risotto tonight and it was so good! I was surprised at the lemon flavor it had when I toasted the lemons with the asparagus. We had to stop ourselves from eating everything in one dinner! – Connie
- “It was so tasty. It was creamy and flavorful and the asparagus was perfect! -Karen
What to serve with risotto
Sometimes it’s hard to decide how to make risotto a full meal (Alex and I went there)! An accessory salad makes for a healthy vegetarian dinner. Of course, this has to be accompanied by crunchy and delicious garlic bread, we don’t want to judge that! Here are some ideas of what to serve with risotto:
- Easy Arugula Salad Here’s the easiest salad you’ll ever make! This easy arugula salad is foolproof: you don’t even have to make any dressing.
- Classic Garlic Bread Crispy on top, soft on the inside and full of flavor: the perfect accompaniment to pasta or tomato soup.
- Garlic Toast Or make it quick and easy with the tastiest Garlic Baguette Toast!
- Orange Fennel Salad A sophisticated and refreshing side dish! It combines the juicy orange and the subtle liquorice essence of fennel with a citrus vinaigrette.
PS: If you love risotto, be sure to try our classic risotto, butternut squash risotto, mushroom risotto, and creamy shrimp risotto.
More asparagus recipes
Want more ways to use that healthy green stalk? Here are some asparagus recipes to add to your repertoire:
- Asparagus salad with feta Hard in taste and totally versatile! It features asparagus sautéed with lemon, radishes, feta and a Dijon vinaigrette.
- Asparagus Pasta Lemon-roasted asparagus pairs with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese for an irresistible dinner recipe.
- Salad with shaved asparagus Have you ever tried raw asparagus? It tastes sweet and sweet! Eat it in a salad of shredded asparagus that pairs the ribbons with a tangy lemon and parmesan vinaigrette.
- Easy Baked Asparagus An easy side dish that everyone loves. The green stems are gently roasted, sprinkled with lemon and topped with parmesan.
This asparagus risotto recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
The description
This flavorful asparagus risotto combines creamy arborio rice with parmesan cheese and lemon-roasted asparagus. A real crowd puller!
- 1 pint vegetable soup
- 1 pint the water
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, shared
- 1 chop the asparagus
- 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lemon (zests of half plus 4 slices of the other half)
- 2 tablespoons Salted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups white arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or chardonnay
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional Garnish: Toasted Pine Nuts
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat broth: Place broth, water, and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt in a saucepan and heat over low heat. (You will use this heated broth to stir into the risotto).
- How to cut the vegetables: Slice the onion, then place in a bowl and set aside. Trim the tough bottom ends of the asparagus, then chop into two-inch pieces.
- Prepare asparagus: Place the asparagus spears on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a few black peppercorns. Add the zest of half a lemon and mix with your hands. Thinly slice 2 lemon slices from the lemon, then cut in half and place directly on the plate.
- Start the risotto: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic powder and rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice starts to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and cook until liquid is completely absorbed.
- Fry asparagus: Place the sheet pan with the asparagus in the oven and cook until green and tender when you pierce the thickest part with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. The timing depends on the thickness of the asparagus tips. (You’ll take it out of the oven while you cook the risotto in the next step.)
- Meanwhile, cook the risotto: Add two ladlefuls of hot broth to the risotto. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is completely absorbed, then add two more ladlefuls of each. Cook in the same way for about 12 minutes, add two ladles and stir. Enjoy a grain of rice after the 12 minutes. When it’s creamy but still al dente in the center, you’re ready for the final step! Otherwise, continue cooking and add a few more minutes of broth.
- Finish the risotto: When the rice is al dente, reduce the heat to low. Add two more ladlefuls of broth, the parmesan, and a few black peppercorns. Stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes until you have a thick, creamy risotto. Then stir in the roasted asparagus and lemon wedges and serve immediately. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, during which time the color of the asparagus will fade (reheat before serving).
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Italian
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Asparagus risotto
