Risotto with asparagus is the dish of spring the season of fresh asparagus that can be found easily in farmers market. This is a quick meal, if you have a good homemade broth and Parmesan cheese you are all set!
Ingredients | 2 servings
- 200g/7oz Risotto Rice (Carnaroli or Arborio)
- 200g / 7oz fresh (or frozen) Asparagus
- 1/2 glass of White Wine
- 40g/1.4oz Ground Parmesan Cheese
- Vegetable or Meat Broth
- Half Onion
- 2 knobs of Butter
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Preparation
Wash the asparagus and cut their woody bottoms for the broth.
– Making broth: Stir fry chopped onions, celery and carrot. Add the asparagus stems mix add 4 cups of water and simmer for 20 mins. The broth is ready for risotto.
– Save up to 4-5 asparagus tips and cut the rest into small pieces.
– Stir fry the tips in olive oil with a bit of salt. They will be used for the dish decoration.
Cooking Risotto:
– Sauté half of the grated onion with a knob of butter, salt, and pepper.
– Add the asparagus and stir.
– Add rice.
– Sauté for ⏳ 4-5 minutes on medium heat. So the rice toasted and the heat of the pan goes up.
– Pour wine to give the ingredients a thermic shock. This helps the rice to release more starch.
– Stir until the wine evaporates.
– Pour 2-3 ladle of broth (which is simmering beside the pan).
– Continue to stir so the broth is absorbed.
– Add another ladle of broth.
– Repeat this, for ⏳ 14-15 minutes to cook the rice. At this point, you’ll probably have a good al dente risotto.
➡️ if you’re not a fan of al dente: continue to cook until the rice become softer.
– In the end, the risotto should be slightly runny (add a bit of broth/boiling water if it’s too dense).
– Turn off the heat and add 2 knobs of butter & cheese all at once.
– Mix them lively, some chefs even waving the rice in the pan to “mix” them (they believe this way, “more air” goes inside the risotto!).
Now you have a silky & creamy risotto ready to be served.
Notes
- If your broth is finished earlier, use boiling water to complete the cooking.
- Never use the industrial broth, chop some veggies and toast them with a bit of olive oil on high heat, add boiling water after 15 minutes of simmering it’s ready. No additives, no preservatives perfect for your health.
Serve with grated cheese and stir-fried asparagus’s tips on top. If you like it spicy, some drops of chilly oil (peperoncino oil) gives a nice kick to it too.
Buon appetito! ☺️
