Asparagus Risotto

By lianbl88

This recipe also is a basic risotto recipe without the asparagus. Feel free to substitute peas, fresh green beans, fava beans, sugar snap peas, bay scallops, shrimp, use your imagination!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots or leeks
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 3 Tbsp water)
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option)*
• 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, tips cut off, tough skins of the spears peeled (if working with thick apparatus spears), and the spears cut into 1/2" disks
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock.

In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a minute or two, until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a separate saucepan.

Add the wine to the rice/shallot mixture. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1 cup of hot stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding broth a cup at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes. With the last ladle of stock, stir in the sliced asparagus and salt and pepper to taste. Add the tips and gently stir. Remove from heat and let set for 4 - 5 minutes covered.

Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Serve immediately.